What If I Was Reborn In Naruto As A Prodigy Half Yuki & Kaguya | Part 1

Yo, Atlas speaking, and welcome to a brand new series on the channel! What if I was reborn in Naruto as a prodigy, half Yuki and Kagaya?

Synopsis: What would you do if you found yourself reborn into the world of Naruto? Here we find Fiona Yuki, born into the Yuki clan in the Hidden Mist during the Third Great Ninja War. See his new life unfold with his upbringing in the bloody Mist Village, his ties to both of his barren clans, and his legendary rise to power in the Ninja World. From surviving against Sauza in the Ninja Academy to fighting KAG, Fiona's story is one legendary tale. Don't miss it as we start the story now. Let the tale begin!

Chapter 1: What does it mean to be truly strong? To have power? I thought I had known. I had spent my whole life thinking I was strong, that I was powerful, only to have it all taken away in a single moment. My day had started like any other. I woke up, went about the normal morning routines most adults had. I had a shower, brushed my teeth, you know, the usual. I had a list of small jobs and bits that I had to do for the day. First on the list was to pop over to the bank and deposit some money. Next was food shopping, and so on. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Nothing seemed off. It was just another day.

I arrived at the bank and joined the queue. I didn't like waiting, but I like to think of myself as a nice guy, even letting an older lady in front of me because she seemed in a hurry. Today was going to be no different, I had thought to myself. Well, that was where I was wrong. I noticed a hooded man pacing outside of the window. He looked flustered. It was finally my turn in the long line that had formed, and the lady behind the desk snapped me out of my staring as she asked how she could help me. I gave her a normal smile before I started to speak, but I didn't hear my own words. "Get on the floor now!" Screams erupted from most of the people there, and I turned to see what was happening. It was the hooded man who had been pacing outside. He was holding a gun, pointed and walking towards me. I quickly put my hands up and stepped to the side slowly as he glanced at me and then to the lady at the desk. "Put the money in the bag, come on, move it!" he shouted as he threw a small duffel bag at her. He was shaking and jittery. I know I shouldn't have done what I did next, but I did it anyway. My body just moved, closing the small distance between me and the thug. I quickly punched him in the face, grabbing the gun in his hand. I twisted it up and pulled it out of his hand. He struggled and grabbed me with his free hand, trying to claw at my face. I dropped the gun and acted on instinct, headbutting him in the face to stun and knocking him off balance. I quickly used my strength and threw the man over my shoulder, hard into the ground. Other people were still screaming, and some even ran out of the bank quickly. Of course, some had already got their phones out and started to record the whole thing. I hit the man so hard in the face that his head bounced off the floor, and he stopped moving. I slowly stood up and shouted for someone to call the police. I had trained in martial arts my whole life. I had been in many a fight and even fought in the ring, but this was the first time I had fought someone with a gun. My adrenaline was pulsing, and the rush was unreal. It was hard to even breathe at the moment, but it was over, wasn't it?

I saw the man move, and then it hit me. The gun. I had completely forgotten where it had gone. I tried to move as fast as I could, but as I took my second step, BANG! From what I could tell, the shot had hit me in my chest. I was choking on my own blood. I knew that much, as I was pretty used to the taste. My arms and legs were going cold, and the screams and sounds in the distance started to fade. Why did I try and play the hero? Should I have just let him take the money? I was pretty sure it was insured anyway. If only I had been stronger. If only I had more power. I should have killed him before he killed me. All these thoughts were flooding my head as my blood flooded the floor. "What happens now?" was my final thought as darkness was starting to take over. My eyes were closing, and I no longer had the strength to fight it. The light faded, and I took my last, last breath.

I awoke to raised voices around me. One sounded like a man, and another like a woman. The room was dark, and it took my eyes a second to adjust to the candlelight's glow. "I won't let you kill him! He is my baby!" the woman's voice said, shouting. I tried moving but didn't seem to have much luck. "Just what the hell is happening? Where am I?" I thought as the voice got louder. "He is a cure to this clan! I should never, never have let you keep him during your pregnancy!" I didn't really understand what the hell was happening. I slowly managed to look down towards my own body. My head weighed a ton, and it took all my strength. To my horror, my body was tiny. "Uh, am I a baby? What the hell is happening?" I tried moving and shouting out, but my tiny body had no strength. As for my voice, all I was able to do was cry or scream. So that's what I did. The voices got louder again. "That's enough! I will put an end to this monstrosity in an instant!" the man's voice said in anger. "If you want to kill him, you must kill me first!" I stopped trying to scream as it was starting to hurt my throat. Were they talking about me? Is this man trying to kill me? Just what the hell is happening? I thought I had already died. I couldn't really see what was happening for the cloth I assumed I was in and was blocking my vision, but I could feel the tension in the air. "You know what his father was. How can you protect him after what he did to you?" the man's voice said in empathy. The tension in the room settled a little, and it felt like the pressure did too. "This baby is not his father. He cannot. No, I will not let him be blamed for his actions. You know what he will become. The Mist will turn him into a weapon, or they will kill him out of fear. He has no future." It was silent for a moment before the woman spoke. "As long as I live, no one will touch my son." Is this really happening? This was the kind of thing you used to read in a made-up story or watch in a funny anime, but this was real, and it certainly didn't look like heaven. The woman walked into my view and smiled down at me. "He is The Unwanted Snow. My Fiona Yuki." I had so many questions about this whole thing. What I was guessing was my mother in this world picked me up and held me tight. She was pretty, very pretty. She smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. She looked at the man and put a hard face back on. "No one touches him." I turned my small head so I could look at the man who had only a few moments ago been threatening my life. He seemed older than the woman holding me, as his hair was starting to gray. From what I could piece together, he wasn't my father. He looked at me with a cold chill in his eyes and then back to my new mother. "Very well, Katcha," he said before turning his back. "From this day, he is Fiona of the Yuki Clan." With that said, he walked out of the room, leaving me and Katcha alone. Wait a minute. Where had I heard that word from before?

Chapter 2: Time passed very slowly for me in my current body. Being trapped in the body of an infant with the mind of a 25-year-old was like being waterboarded. The only person I got to see was Katchina when I wasn't trying to roll around. I was driving myself crazy trying to contemplate what the hell had happened to me. My daily routine consisted of being fed from the breast of my new mother, which was weird to say the least. I got my nappy changed twice a day, as I had no control over any of that either. Sometimes Katcho would play with me, but it never lasted for that long. Most of my time was spent reflecting. When had it happened to me? And how did any of this make sense? But the more I thought about it, the more it didn't make sense. Time continued to pass in a blur. The same thing, day in and day out. No one else ever came back with Katcha, but that didn't really bother me. Pretty soon, I found myself crawling around and even managed to take a few steps. My little legs were still not strong enough to support me yet, but crawling would do for now. Time seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, I was celebrating my fourth birthday. I could walk, run, and even talk at this point. I had decided to be smart about what I said and how I said it. I didn't need any unwanted attention at such a young age. Once I had been able to walk, my mother had taken me out with her. I still remember the first time I went outside. Our house was a small cabin, and we lived in a small settlement called the Yuki Clan. The small village was covered in snow, but that made it look beautiful. I still hadn't figured out what the Yuki meant yet, as every time I asked, she always said, "When you're older." My days were spent learning to read and write, as my mother would teach me. As luck would have it, everyone spoke English, so speaking was easy. Learning to read and write was a little trickier, as it wasn't in English. I had always tried to act my age, but I still slipped up a few times. Katchina always gave me a surprised look when I said or did something that was beyond my years. She was a pretty woman with long black hair like silk. Her eyes were blue like the ocean, and her skin white like the snow on the ground. She never said anything but just smiled and said, "You are a bright child." I had also discovered who the man was who wanted to kill me when I was, when I assumed, reborn. He was actually my grandfather, or Katcha's father. His name was Shimo Yuki, and from what I could see, he was the clan leader. Everyone else respected him and did what he said. I was one of the only children in our small settlement. I wasn't allowed to play with the others, though. I didn't really care. Playing with kids when you were mentally 25 would have been strange, anyhow.

As time continued to pass me by, I was allowed to go out on my own. No one really bothered with me, but I didn't care. I spent most of my time wandering around the outskirts of the settlement. It was located high in the mountains, which was why we had snow all year round. I had started to learn more about my new world, and as it turned out, I already knew quite a bit about it already. It took me a little while to piece it together. The thought that I was crazy coming to mind quite often, but it all made sense. I was part of the Yuki Clan of the Land of Water, one of five great nations, and we served the feudal lords and the Mizukage. I almost had a panic attack at the information I had learned. Naruto was one of my favorite animes, and I had often thought how cool it would have been to be able to do jutsu. It would seem my wish had come true. Late one night, I was woken to voices coming from the kitchen of our small cabin. It was Katcha's voice, and if I remembered correctly, Shimo. "I said," under my breath, "he was nothing like my grandfather had been in my past world. He was cold and hard, never praising me. In fact, he never paid any attention to me." "If I remembered correctly, the time has come, Kat. You know our clan rules," Shimo said. Being as quiet as I could, I peeked through my bedroom door. The room was lit by candlelight, but I had gotten used to seeing in the dark. "I know, father, but what if he..." she was cut off. "There are no 'buts.' If he has inherited the Kigan Kai, it is the law." "He's too young to be sent there," Katcha said, her face looking worried. "War is on the brink, and Lord Mizukage has requested all clans to prepare our warriors for battle, including children aged five and above. He will be tested and sent to the academy. It is the law." Katcha's face was filled with horror. "Curse the Mizukage and curse the bloody Mist! They should fight their own wars!" her voice was raised now, but she sat back down in defeat. Shimo stood up and unfolded his large arms. "Bring him to me tomorrow." He walked out of the house, and Katcha didn't move. I decided this was a good time to sneak back to bed and think about what I had overheard. War? That's what he had said. The only problem was, I had no idea where in the Naruto story I was. It was so much to process, and still didn't feel real at times, but it was. It was as real as a slap to the face. I raised my own hand in front of my face. It was still small. The hand of a child. "Why am I here?" I said to myself before I drifted off to sleep.

The next day came way too fast, as I was woken by Katcha. She didn't look like she usually did. Her face was bleak and void of expression. I decided to ask if she was okay. She gave me a forced smile and nodded. It was one that grown-ups gave to children when something was wrong. I had seen it all too much in my old world. We ate breakfast, and not long after, I was taken to the largest building in our settlement. It was Shimo's house. I guess being the clan leader had its perks. Even though he was my blood-related grandfather in this world, I had never been here before. After hearing how he wanted to kill me all those years ago, I always guessed he didn't like me. We walked through the house and outside to the back. It was rather large, and in the middle, Shimo was waiting with a handful of others. This wasn't looking good. It looked like I was going to be tested, and it didn't look like it was going to be easy. Katcha bowed to the group of men, and I did the same. They returned the greeting and gestured. "Then I come closer." I looked at Katcha, and she nodded. The fake smile on her face, as if she was trying to tell herself it would be all right. I gulped and stepped forward, stopping a few feet away from Shimo. I stood strong and looked into his eyes, not breaking my gaze. He stepped forward, and his gaze became cold. "Do you know why you are here, boy?" he asked. "I know," I nodded, still not breaking my gaze. He unfolded his arms. He gave an order to one of the others, and they placed a large bowl of water at my feet. He spoke once more. "If you can move the water in that bowl without touching it, you pass." I didn't quite understand, but at the same time, I did. They wanted to see if I had the Kigan Kai of the Yuki Clan, the Ice Release. I looked at the still water in the bowl by my feet. I... I didn't know what to do, so I just held my hand over it. I looked at the water hard and willed it to move. To my surprise, it did. I moved the water from side to side and then willed it to come to me. The water rose in the air and formed a ball between my hands. I looked at Shimo, and he looked at me with a small grin. It was the first time he had ever even shown any kind of expression other than anger or disapproval towards me. He looked over to a wooden post and back to me. I understood what he wanted me to do. I raised my hand and slashed it down towards the wooden post. The water formed a sharp blade and froze. It sliced through the post like butter. This was amazing! I felt amazing! This was power! This was what true power felt like! I turned back to Shimo, who smiled, but Katcha dropped to her knees, tears running down her cheeks.

Chapter 3: "No! I won't let them take him! He's too young!" Kat screamed as the others held her back. Shimo placed a hand on my shoulder and started to walk me away. I looked back at Katcha. She was in pain, not physical, but deep inside. "No! I won't let you!" she shouted, breaking free of one of the men's grip on her arm. She started making hand signs with one hand. The other man quickly let go and jumped out of the way. Ice spikes rose up from the ground all around her and would have skewered both men had they not evaded. She charged, moving like the wind toward Shimo and pulled out a kunai as she did. Shimo blocked the kunai with ice he had created around his hand like a blade. "Katcha, how dare you! You know the laws!" She didn't care. All she wanted was not to lose me. Even in this world, a mother's love was unbreakable. "I won't let them have him to be used as a weapon! I won't let him!" She pulled back from Shimo, flipping backward as she did. She made a number of hand signs too quick for me to follow, and ice spears formed around her. I couldn't see Shimo's face, but his aura said it all. "Very well, you leave me no choice." He flicked both hands down towards the floor. Ice formed around his forearms and hands like blades. The two of them clashed, ice shattering on ice. "So this is what a battle between two powerful Kigan Kai users looks like," I thought to myself. It was beyond anything I had ever seen. No one could move that fast in my world, and no one could use ice like that either. Kat was trying her best, but Shimo was clearly stronger. The ice on his arms as blades had blood on them now. It was Katcha's blood. "This is your last chance. I don't wish to kill you, Kat," he said, his voice turning. Kat was breathing heavily now. The blood loss was starting to take its toll. She still had a defiant look on her face, though. "I won't stop! I told you, while I live, I will not let anyone take him away from me!" Shimo gave a heavy sigh. "You leave me no choice, Katcha." He vanished in an instant, taking her back and slamming a kick into the middle of it. She flew through the air and landed hard on the ground a few feet from me. I looked down at her and then up at Shimo. Was he going to kill her? His own daughter? This woman had cared for me, provided for me for the last 5 years. Although she didn't replace my mother from my old life, she came pretty close. Shimo was standing over her now, his arm raised. I had to do something, anything. I couldn't let her die like this. Without thinking, I dashed forward, willing myself to move. Somehow, I made it in time, standing in front of Katcha, my arm raised to block Shimo's slash. "No!" Katcha screamed. Time seemed to slow down again. Had I really done the same thing again? I had jumped into death's embrace for a second time. No, I wouldn't let it happen again. Not again. Shimo's ice blade hit my forearm and, to my surprise, stopped dead. His face was twisted in anger and horror. To my own surprise, I had managed to stop his attack without... without losing my arm. I looked a little closer and noticed that three white bones were protruding from my arm. That was what had stopped Shimo's ice blade. It was the bone. I pushed forwards and managed to push Shimo back while he was still in a state of shock. I looked at my own arm. It didn't hurt at all, even with three large bones sticking out of it. I didn't have to think too hard about it, and the bone slowly started to return into my skin like it was never there. I looked behind me at Katcha. Her face was full of dismay, and she looked down towards the ground. I turned to look at Shimo. His face was void of expression. The others around us started to whisper, and one word caught my attention: Kagaya. Shimo raised a hand to silence them before he spoke. "You see, Katcha? I warned you of this. He has not only inherited our Yuki Clan's Kigan Kai but the monstrosity of the Kagaya, just like his infernal father. The sad truth is, he is nothing other than the perfect weapon." Katchina started to cry and gave out a scream. Shimo walked over to me slowly. "Fiona Yuki, you are the curse of the Yuki Clan." He turned his back and started to walk away. "He leaves today, Katchina." That was the last time I saw Shimo. Katcha was taken away so her wounds could be tended to, and I was taken by two men I had only seen on my strolls through the village. Kagaya. It all made sense now. I knew what it was and how strong it was. Watching Naruto for all those years really did come in handy. What I didn't expect was the reaction from the others. Was this ability really so feared in this Shinobi world? I had never been called a curse before. This was my life now, and as crazy as it seemed, I had to endure it. These abilities I had been given may be a curse to others, but to me, to me, it was a gift from heaven. The trip lasted 2 days as we traversed through and down the mountain terrain. It would have gone much faster, but neither of the men was willing to carry me. I couldn't jump far or run up and down walls, after all, I was still only physically 5 years old. On top of that, I had no idea how to use any chakra. It was the middle of the day when the village came into view. I recognized it from the pictures I had seen. It was the Village Hidden in the Mist. "Kure, come on kid, we are almost there," one of the men said, not even looking at me. Man, these guys really hated me. We walked towards the large gate and were stopped by Hidden Mist Shinobi. "State your purpose," one of them said. I looked around and could count at least 20 guards around the wall and gate. They all had swords on their backs and wore the Hidden Mist Flak Jacket. It wasn't the most recent one I had seen in the anime. In fact, it looked older. To be honest, I had already pieced that together, though, given the fact the Yuki Clan were still alive. The timeline must have been well before Naruto was born. "We are from the Yuki Clan. We have come to make our offering for the Mizukage," one of the men with me said. I noticed the looks the guards gave us. It wasn't just me either. They really didn't like us. Was a Kigan Kai really so feared here? "Open the gate," the guard shouted as he stepped back, spitting on the ground. "Let them in." I was escorted in by my fellow clan members, and we started walking down the street. I could certainly see why it was named the Village Hidden by the Mist. This village was nothing that the Hidden Leaf had looked like. No, that village was full of life, people walking the streets, chatting, and going about their daily life. This place was the complete opposite. The stone buildings were run down, not many people on the streets at all, and the ones that were looked to be in a rush to get off of them. I had never really seen much on this village other than a large building in the middle. I guess that was where we were heading. After walking through the village, we finally arrived. We were escorted inside and up a couple of flights of stairs. There were no windows inside this building, only one way in and one out. We entered a large stone room that was lit by gas lamps. Two rows of guards lined a square shoji of translucent paper. I could see the silhouette of a person sat inside, and I bet he was important. The two men knelt down and pushed my head to do the same. One of the Shinobi spoke through the paper wall in a whisper I couldn't hear. He knelt back down, and a deep voice spoke from behind the shoji. "Welcome, members of the Yuki Clan." The voice spoke. The man to my right raised his head and also spoke. "Thank you, Lord Mizukage. We have come with our offerings for the Academy." I could feel the eyes of everyone in the room fall on me, most of all the Mizukage. I couldn't see. Suddenly, his deep voice spoke again. "Come closer, child." I looked at my fellow Yuki clan members, and they both nodded. I stood up and walked slowly over towards the shoji. One of the Shinobi raised a hand. "That's close enough." I stopped and tried to get a better look at the shadow behind the paper wall. If I could just get a look at the Mizukage's face, it would help me place the timeline of this world. Not that it really mattered. I was pretty sure my presence in this world wouldn't change much. Suddenly, the shoji door opened, and all the Shinobi in the room quickly lowered their heads in surprise. I wasn't sure what to do and lowered my head in a bow, keeping my eyes fixed on the man. He had long black hair with small beads running through it. It was the Third Mizukage. "You wish to see my face, child?" he said with a questioning look on his. "Oh, shit." I didn't think he would have realized. He walked a full circle around me and sat back down on his chair. "You amuse me, child. How old are you?" he asked, a small grin on his face. I didn't look up as I answered his question. "Five, sir." It was silent for a moment before he spoke again. "Is Shimo really okay with this? He is very young." The Mizukage spoke, directing his question to the two other Yuki clan members. One of them spoke without hesitation. "Yes, my Lord. This one is gifted." The Mizukage looked from him and back to me. I could feel the chill his gaze gave as it was fixed on me. "Is that so?" It was silent once more before he clapped his hands together. "Very well. I trust that old goat Shimo. If he thinks he is ready, then I will take him. But you know, I can't promise that he will survive." My fellow Yuki members didn't even look up. "Of course, Lord Mizukage. You may leave now," the Mizukage said after a moment. I could feel his gaze on me even after I left the room. It was frightening. I was handed over to two Hidden Mist ninja. The Yuki members not even so much as saying goodbye. I didn't care. I was pretty strong emotionally. I was escorted to a large barracks. Here I was given new clothes and a name tag. The clothes consisted of a black training shirt and black training pants. After I had changed into them, I was taken to a classroom and left on my own. The room was full of other kids, all older than me. They had the same clothes on that I did. I guess it was a generic protocol. I took an empty seat and decided to keep to myself. They didn't look like a friendly bunch, anyway. Pretty soon, a man entered the room. He was clearly a ninja with the clothes he was wearing, but the Hidden Mist headband gave it away. "All right, you sorry lot, take your seats and shut it if you know what's good for you." Everyone quickly did as he said, and the room fell silent. "My name is Hatake. You will address me as Sensei. Is that understood?" The class answered with a loud, "Yes, Sensei!" and he seemed pleased. "Welcome to the Academy of the Bloody Mist."

Chapter 4: My vision of what a Ninja Academy was like was pretty spot-on, however, the brutality of it was not. First thing in the morning, we had strength training. This consisted of running many miles around the large training field. Some would even pass out from lack of exhaustion. Of course, the instructors didn't care and just left them there. Weakness was not allowed here. We also had to complete basic bodyweight exercises such as press-ups, sit-ups, and a number of other exercises. I was one for training, but doing this every day was child abuse. After that, we had breakfast. It was the most basic food you could imagine, but it was better than nothing. Next, we found ourselves in the classroom where we were taught the basics of chakra: what it was, what it was used for, how to use and apply it. We were taught hand signs and made to practice them religiously. We were also taught about the history of our village and the other great nations. It was as I expected. They were brainwashing us from an early age. Next was lunch, and it was pretty much the same as breakfast. We were each given our small rations consisting of bread, some water, and two ration bars. I don't know what they had in them, but I was guessing it was everything the body needed. After lunch, we had Taijutsu practice. I found this very easy thanks to my private knowledge and time spent training in my old world. We were taught basic stances and strikes, basic forms, and drills. It was pretty much what I had expected for a basic Taijutsu class. As they called it, it was more brutal than I could have expected, though. We were forced to fight each other until one couldn't fight anymore. How we went about it didn't matter to the instructor either. I was able to beat everyone there despite the age difference. My knowledge and experience were too great. After all, I was fighting eight-year-old children. I managed to submit all of them and didn't cause any serious harm to them. Others, however, had been knocked out, and one had even had his arm snapped. It was brutal, but I had to keep going. The only other choice was to give up and die. After the Taijutsu, we had shuriken practice. The ones who had been injured or unable to continue had been carried off to the medical unit to treat their injuries. It would seem they were not as cruel as I had first thought. Throwing shuriken wasn't all that difficult. They had a good weight to them and sailed through the air smoothly. Getting a good grouping was more challenging. After hours of practice, we were taken back for our last meal. It was the same again, but this time we had a small bowl of rice each. It was plain, of course, but I was just thankful it wasn't more soggy bread. After we had eaten, we had to go back to our rooms. We didn't get our own room, no. It was a 16-man room. Each of us had a small futon and one set of drawers. We were not encouraged to chat amongst ourselves and had a strict lights-out time. If you were caught not sleeping, then you were beaten to set an example. It was very military and strict, but then again, what had I expected of a ninja village called the Bloody Mist? I knew exactly why it was called that too. We all did. That was why no one really spoke to each other. No one was willing to form bonds of friendship when you might have to kill that person at the end. We were being trained as emotionless tools and nothing more.

The next 3 years followed the same routine. It just got harder, though. The number of laps increased each month, and so did the number of exercises. Our Taijutsu got more advanced each year, and so did the brutality. It was not uncommon for the odd person to be killed in the matches, especially if you let your guard down. After all, they were training killers. As our chakra control got better, everything seemed to get easier. We could use our chakra to boost our physical strength and speed, allowing us to continue training for hours. We had been given exams on the knowledge we had learned in the classroom, and those that had failed were met with strict punishment. I had found out that our training lasted for 3 years at this Academy, and we were quickly approaching the final test. We had been taught no ninjutsu other than how to make clones. They were nothing more than an illusion and not solid at all, not like shadow clones, anyway. I was now 8 years old. The time had seemed to all blend into one. We were not given time to think, nor were we allowed to think for ourselves. I had also decided to keep my Kigan Kai abilities a secret. My name didn't really help, and some of the other kids had heard of the name Yuki, after all, it was a powerful clan in the Land of Water. The only time I got to myself was the little bit before I fell asleep each night. I used that time to concentrate on using my other abilities. I could feel my bones change in my body and move at my will. I could make new ones, stronger ones, even cover the underlayer of skin in a layer of bone-like armor. It was a very powerful ability. If I remembered correctly, Kimimaro was very powerful, and even Gaara had struggled to defeat him. My thoughts often drifted to what happened in Naruto early on. If I was correct, we were currently in the middle of the Third Great Ninja War. The village was busy, and ninja would come and go. Sometimes, even our instructor would change overnight. We weren't told the details, but we managed to overhear the odd bit. A few more weeks passed, and I soon found myself at the final exam. All of the classes were gathered. There must have been over 250 students. Of course, each class was split to only hold 30-ish students at a time, and we never got to see the others except for meal times. The air was tense. Every one of us knew what was going to happen. Even after all of the training, all of the emotional and physical stress, could I really do it? Could I kill these children? Most of them had been orphans or born to the lower families of the Land of Water. In times of war, it was requested that all able children of the age of eight had to be sent to the academy with a few exceptions, like clans who had to offer up children so they could keep an alliance with the village. I was snapped out of my thoughts when the head instructor of the academy stood on a small podium. "Each and every one of you has proven you have what it takes to become Shinobi, but you are yet to face your final test. This will see who among you will become Bloody Mist Shinobi." He raised his arm, and the mist cleared. We had been gathered at a large stadium, and it was filled with spectators. Even the Mizukage had come to watch the event. They were treating our deaths as a spectacle. It was sickening. The Mizukage spoke, his voice demanding the attention of everyone. "I look forward to seeing how our new recruits will fare. Remember, you serve me and the Bloody Mist, dear Nation. Be proud this day and show your capability." His words seemed to encourage most of the students who were eager to prove themselves. The head instructor gave a nod, and the other instructors covered us in a large, spread-out circle. It seemed as if they were there to stop anyone from trying to run. "This is madness," I thought. Suddenly, a rain of kunai fell from the sky and landed scattered across the what was about to become a battlefield. A small few who had not paid attention had been hit by a couple and laid dead on the ground. The realization of what was about to happen becoming clear to everyone. "You may begin," the Mizukage said. The area around me erupted. Students were rushing to the closest kunai, trying to gain the advantage. Screams filled the air as the battle was underway. It was an all-out battle royale. The people you had trained with, ate with, and even shared a room with, they were now your enemy. I didn't move for a little while. I just watched what was unfolding around me, frozen in disbelief. I don't know when it happened, but my body took over. Someone had tried to attack me, and I just moved. It was such a simple movement, too. A simple side-step followed by a slash of my arm to the boy's neck. The bone-shaped blade in my hand, covered in the blood of this child. He was so young still, older than me physically, but to me, he was nothing more than a child. This world was cold, colder than anything I had ever known. There was nothing I could do. Nothing at all. "Survive. That is what I had told myself I would survive, no matter what. I WILL SURVIVE!" I screamed as I entered the fray of battle. I went on a rampage. All of the hate I had bottled up until this point exploded out of me like a river of darkness. I cut them down one after the other. No one could stop me. I was like a demon. Jumping into the air, I slashed down, killing another boy with ease as my bone blade cut straight through the kunai in his hand. I used my chakra to empower my movements, and I quickly became a whirlwind of death. I must have killed at least 50 of them now. Boys and girls, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that I live. Nothing else. It was then that I noticed him. He looked just a little older than me, but not by much. His face was like mine, a demon in the mist. The only difference was that he seemed to enjoy it. He cut through the others with ease, a kunai in each hand, wielding them with skill. His eyes fixed on me, and me alone. He was a true demon. I could see his aura like it was above his head. Looking at me, he fell to his knee, twisting his arm, aiming for my body. I dodged the first attack and grabbed his wrist from the second one. He was strong. Not one second after I had a hold of him, his foot struck me in the chest, and if not for my reinforced bones, the strike would have broken my ribs. I couldn't help but give a smile. He did the same. Slowly, he walked backward, disappearing into the mist and out of my sight. I decided to let him go and turned around, ready to defend myself. "Stop!" a deep voice shouted. It was the Mizukage, and everyone quickly halted from the sound alone. The mist around the battleground faded, and the piles of dead children were inhumane. Out of the 200-plus students that had started the exam, only around 50 were left standing. The Mizukage pointed to the boy who I had clashed with and spoke again. "Bring that one to me." The adult instructors quickly manhandled him and disappeared. As for the rest of us, we were lined back up, standing over our fallen classmates and covered in their blood. The Mizukage spoke again. "Congratulations. You are all members of the Bloody Mist Village." The words seemed to lift the mood of the others. I guess they didn't care that they had killed the others. I pushed it to the back of my mind. I couldn't think about that now. If I did, it would consume me. We were escorted off by the other instructors and taken to a shower room. I sat soaking in the warm water as the blood that then clung to me slowly washed away. I let out a small sob, and tears followed. I thought I was emotionally strong, but this was something else. I had become a killer, and killers didn't cry, did they?

Chapter 5: The word has spread like wildfire. The boy who had killed over 100 students. It was rare to have just one person killed so many by themselves. What had really shocked everyone was that the boy wasn't even a student of the academy. The Mizukage himself had interrogated the boy. Zabuza Momochi was his name. It was all starting to fall into place now. The timeline was starting to make sense. If Zabuza was a little older than me, then that meant that I was only a year or two younger than Kakashi. Not long after my breakdown, the survivors and I had been gathered and handed our Hidden Mist headbands. I counted 51 students in total. It was no hidden fact that this year's numbers had been low, all thanks to the arrival of Zabuza. I had no doubt at least not long after this, they would be done with the barbaric graduation exam and change their ways. The head instructors and others had not just been watching to make sure no one tried to run away; they had been observing our strengths and our weaknesses. Each student was placed in an area where their strengths had seemed strongest. The categories listed as followed: Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Kinjutsu. Most students were placed into just one other category. Everyone was placed into Kinjutsu, though. Kirigakure was known for its famous swordsmen, after all. Only 10 students were placed into three or more categories. Me being one of them: Fiona Yuki, Kinjutsu, Taijutsu, Ninjutsu. The instructor called out. I was moved into the small section of students that had been placed into more than two categories, while the others were organized into their own sections. It turned out, even though we had become Genin, we still had three weeks left at the Academy. They called it the advanced classes, and they called them that for a reason. We were given no time to rest, no time to celebrate our promotion. We were straight back to training. The Hidden Mist had taken heavy losses during the war so far, and the village needed more soldiers and fast. Smaller conflicts and skirmishes around the Land of Water and its neighbors were also taking place, and the need for soldiers was increasing. We quickly fell into a routine, just like we had in our basic training. As it was referred to: First was Genjutsu practice. Every student was in attendance, and the silence was painful as we waited for our instructor. We were all gathered in a large hall. It was quite a strange one, as it had a large stone walkway and a full square around the diameter of the training ground. The lower level was all water, and it was at least waist height. The large doors opened, crashing off the walls like they had been kicked open. The students cleared the way as a large, slender man walked past them to the front. He had a huge sword on his back, which I recognized right away. He had no eyebrows, creases under his eyes, and a cross-shaped scar on his right cheek. The most noticeable thing about him was the red grid-shaped marking covering his jaw. His gaze was heavy as he looked all of us up and down. "Right, you sorry shits, get yourself a training sword and follow me." The man jumped down and landed on the water, standing on it using his chakra. Everyone quickly grabbed one of the training swords and jumped down into the water. I was right. It had been about waist height. None of us could stand on the water using our chakra yet, and we were all forced to withstand the chill of the cold. "My name is Juo Biwa, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist." Everyone broke out into whispers. It was well known that the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist were extremely powerful ninja. In fact, their power and position in the village was second only to the Mizukage himself. Juo scoffed at the fact none of us could walk on the water yet. His smile fading fast. "The Mizukage has asked that I don't kill any of you, but I don't give a rat's ass about whether you live or die. Now, I want all of you to come at me. You can attack one at a time or all at once, it doesn't matter. If you don't keep your guard up, you might die." No one moved for a few seconds. I was pretty sure if he really wanted to, he could kill us all. My memory about him was fuzzy at best, but the fact he had The Executioner's Blade before Zabuza said it all. Suddenly, one of the students flew through the air, his sword raised for an attack. It was Zabuza. Juo blocked his attack.

Like it was nothing, kicking him so hard in the chest that he flew into five of the other students, knocking them down into the water. Everyone roared and charged in for an attack on Juo. He was using the blunt edge of his giant blade to block and attack. Even though it wouldn't cut you, the weight of the blade itself could still kill if it hit in the right place.

Yuzo blocked and dodged every attack that came his way. His speed, strength, and skill were way beyond any of our own. This was the power of one of the Seven. It was incredible.

I followed two others around to his left flank. Moving in the water made life hard work, but with the use of our chakra control, we could still move at a decent pace. The two boys charged in for the attack. One jumped high and the other went in low. It was a perfect team attack, even if it was unplanned.

Juo instantly spun around, blocking both attacks at once with his large blade. He punched the boy who was still falling through the air, sending him flying backward. Then, using the blade, he pulled himself off the ground, spinning a powerful kick into the boy's ribs, breaking them on impact and sending him crashing into the wall.

"This is my chance," I thought as I moved in to attack Juo while he was still off his feet. Juo pulled himself out of the way, landing and spinning around for a counterattack. I blocked the hit, but the force took me off my feet and I was sent sprawling backward.

I recovered quickly, only to see Juo holding his sword above me, ready to attack again. "Not a bad effort, kid," he said as he swung the blade down. I lifted my sword up to block the strike, but his blade was too heavy and snapped mine in half, striking me on the shoulder. Luckily for me, I was able to block the strike with a few bones that had sprung out of my shoulder.

Juo looked shocked, and I quickly went on the counterattack, pulling one of the bones fully out of my shoulder like a short sword. I swung it, aiming for his stomach. Juo quickly jumped back out of the way, pulling his blade up onto his shoulder. "So you're a Kagaya," he said, his face still… His thoughts were interrupted as Zabuza suddenly sprang out of the water like a shark. His sword swung so close to Juo's head I thought he had sliced it off.

Juo watched as a small piece of hair fell from his head and into the water. He looked at Zabuza and then back to me, a smile coming to his face as he did. "Looks like this year's genin aren't just cannon fodder," he said, pointing his sword at me.

I looked around me quickly to see how many of the others were left. Including myself and Zabuza, there were 10 of us left who could still fight. The others had been taken out of the water by some of the other instructors who must have been watching from the shadows.

"You don't have time to be looking around, kid," Juo shouted as he appeared in front of me. "When did he…?" I was snapped out of my thoughts when his kick collided with my chest. Even with the shield of bone spikes that had protruded out to block his attack, I had still been sent flying.

Zabuza and two others attacked at the same time, but Juo made short work of them, throwing them around like rag dolls. No one dared move or attack him, and so he decided to go on the offensive. "If no one wants to attack, then allow me," he shouted, running over to two of the others who were frozen in fear. Juo used a front kick to the girl who slammed against the wall, coughing up blood into the water. He then swung a sideswipe at the boy who, despite blocking the attack, was treated like a rag doll as he swung through the air and bounced off of the water a few times before stopping.

I could feel the pressure his aura was giving off. It felt dark and heavy, as if it were weighing me down. This was starting to get dangerous now. At first, he had been toying with us and taking it easy, but now his bloodlust was showing and his attacks were stronger. Someone could easily die if this carried on much longer.

Juo charged through the other students like a raging bull, a smile on his face as he did. He was running towards me now, and I could tell he meant business. I dodged the first swipe that was aimed at my head, ducking under the slash. I thrust forward with my bone blade. He dodged my strike and backhanded my forearm, causing me to drop my weapon. He spun the massive blade around with such grace and ease, and the second attack went low for my knees. I jumped, spinning in the air, executing a butterfly kick. But as soon as I landed, another attack was already coming down at my head. Even if I reinforced my skull, the weight of the blade would knock me out for sure. I had to move. I had to do something.

Suddenly, Juo stopped the attack and launched himself backward. It would seem that unconsciously, I had frozen the water around me, and large spikes of ice had shot up all around me. Juo had sensed the danger and avoided the surprise attack. "Ice?" he said, a little too loud. He pointed his blade at me, as razor-sharp teeth on show. "What is your name, kid?" he asked.

"Fuyuki," I said, willing the eyes to turn back to the water.

Juo laughed. "Yuki, you say? My, oh my, what a strange one you are." His words were cut off as Zabuza tried another sneak attack. Juo grabbed his wrist, spinning it around until Zabuza's sword was at his own throat. Juo held him in this position for a moment until he let go and pushed him away.

"Class is dismissed," he said as he walked away, placing his massive sword back on his back. I could feel the stares that the others were giving me. It was very uncommon to see someone with two Kekkei Genkai in this village. It was even rarer to see someone with just one.

Not long after, kinjutsu, the students who were able, were sent to their next class. We were being forced to specialize in one area, all with the exception of a few of us. It made sense. The more I thought about it, if they only had a small window of time to train ninja, then it was best to focus on their strongest abilities and then mix and match them when forming squads.

Our next class was Taijutsu. It was pretty much the same as our last Taijutsu class from the academy, but focused on the use of weapons and aiming for the weakest areas of the body. The Taijutsu instructor was a small but built man. He had his headband around his forehead and liked to twist one end of his large mustache. He was very strict when it came to our forms and technique, constantly saying the technique was more important than strength. It was true to an extent, but in this world, there were some ninja that Taijutsu technique just wouldn't cut it.

After the Taijutsu practice, all except the 10 students who had not been picked to attend more than two classes were taken off to the classroom. The rest of us were escorted to our final lesson. Five of us, including myself, were taken to the Ninjutsu instructor, and the others to the Genjutsu. Zabuza was one of the others who had also been selected for the Ninjutsu class, along with two other boys whose names I did not know and one girl. Our instructor was a woman this time, and boy was she pretty. Well, if you could look past the filed teeth that most Hidden Mist ninjas seemed to have.

She started by giving each of us a small piece of paper. "All right, class, I want each of you to focus your chakra into the paper I have just given you. This will allow me to see what nature affinity you possess and work from there." She seemed far too cheerful for a Hidden Mist jonin, but hey, who was I to judge?

Everyone poured their chakra into the paper, waiting to see what would happen. To my surprise, Zabuza's paper went all soggy, like it was soaked. The girl's paper slid in half, indicating she was a wind-style user. One of the other boys jumped as his set on fire, and the others did the same as Zabuza's. My own paper went soggy and then ripped. Of course, it was no surprise. After all, I had the Ice Release that used both water and wind combined.

The instructor noticed each of our papers' effects and nodded with a smile. She walked over to me and gasped. "What do we have here?" she said as she took the wet paper from me. "It is very rare for a student to show two elements on their first paper test." I nodded and rubbed the back of my head. "I have a Kekkei Genkai, Sensei," I said, a small smile on my lips.

She didn't seem surprised. "Well, that would make sense," she said as she walked back to the middle. "Unlike most, she didn't give any hint that she cared. Now begins your lesson. I want you to focus your chakra and combine it with hand signs to manipulate the element you are affiliated with." We all gave a nod and began. This was a great chance for me to practice using my ice style. I had been so busy in the academy that I had never had the chance to use it, unlike my Shakuton abilities, which I could practice in secret without anybody knowing.

We had been at it for hours now, and so far, none of the others, well, other than Zabuza, had made any progress. Zabuza had been able to form the water into a large ball and then drop it back to the ground. The Sensei was very impressed and had said that not many shinobi could learn to use an element on their first day. The others had not been so lucky, as none of them had even come close to showing any signs of their element. I had managed to do quite a lot, even experimenting with some jutsu. I had first formed blades of ice, like I had seen Shimo do when he battled Katch. Next, I found that my abilities allowed me to control water with the use of my chakra. Once I applied hand signs to it, the effort required was less, and the end result was stronger. It didn't go unnoticed that the others were jealous of me, but I didn't let it bother me. It really was a curse to be born without a Kekkei Genkai in this world, and I had been blessed with two.

After Ninjutsu practice, we had been forced to practice our chakra control for another two hours. We were made to focus the chakra in our feet more than any other place in our body. Once that was over, it was a late meal and then lights out. The 16 others I had shared a room with were all gone now, killed in the final exam. It was just me. I was the lone survivor, but that didn't matter, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Over my 3 years in the academy of this village, I had quickly learned that in this world, strength was everything, and if my resolve meant anything, it was that I would be…

Chapter 6

The first two weeks of the advanced classes had flown by. Our Kutsu instructor had changed from Juo to another Jonin ninja. Most of the students were happy about it, to be honest. Now, the classes were spent learning forms and drills. We were made to spar but had to use blunted swords to minimize the fatality rate. Some students had started to be able to stand on the water using their chakra. I had also managed to figure it out. After all, it was a very handy ability living in the Land of Water.

Taijutsu was still the same, but the instructor had us battle in teams. This proved a new challenge, as you had to compensate for your teammates' abilities. We were placed into three-man squads, made to battle until one team could no longer stand. We were not allowed to kill each other, but other than that, there were no rules. I had been placed on a squad with one other boy and a girl. Their names were Kaido and Isumi. Kaido was older than me, being 11, and was quite large for his age. He had short but wild, spiky black hair, and his teeth were filed like most Mist ninjas. Isumi was also the same age, having started the academy at 8 years old. She was about the same height as me. Her hair was long, but she kept it tied back in a neat ponytail. Her teeth were also filed down, and she had a crazy look in her eye. Both of them had only been chosen for the Taijutsu class, meaning that this was their strongest attribute.

The team we were facing consisted of Zabuza and two other boys whose names I had not taken the time to learn. They had only been placed on the Taijutsu class, while myself and Zabuza had been placed on more… "Begin!" the Sensei shouted. Zabuza's team charged, and before I could come up with a plan, my teammates had already gone. Zabuza started by throwing two kunai at Kaido, who deflected them with good reflexes. Isumi and one of the boys from the other team locked into a clash of taijutsu and started to compete in a power struggle. Kaido and Zabuza had also started to exchange blows, which meant my opponent was… I quickly spun around, dodging two shuriken as they flew past my face. "You…" A smile forming on my face. The boy was the average height for his age. He wore the standard black training clothes we still had to wear while in the academy, but he had tied his headband around his arm. He pulled out more shuriken, one in each groove of his knuckles. He threw them with great accuracy, aiming for vital points throughout my body. I charged straight down the center towards him, blocking the shuriken with bones coming out of each of my forearms. I closed the distance quickly and took him off guard, flipping over the older boy. I landed behind him and kicked the back of his knee. The force of my kick dropped the boy hard onto the ground, causing him to lose his breath quickly. Rolling, I slammed my heel down onto his chest, finishing him off and taking him out of the fight.

Meanwhile, Kaido and Zabuza were locked in fierce combat. Kaido was much stronger than Zabuza and seemed to favor focusing his chakra into his fists as he attacked. Zabuza was faster than the large boy, and he used his speed to his advantage. He dodged two punches that had enough force to take his head off and dropped down to one knee as he shot into Kaido's left leg. Using the kunai in his hand, he slit the back of Kaido's leg and quickly spun around to take his back for the final blow. Just as Zabuza's kunai was coming down to stab Kaido in the back, I launched my own projectile. It was the distal phalanx, otherwise known as the fingertip bone I had shot out the tip of my index finger, just as I remembered Kimimaro had in the anime. The bone projectile struck Zabuza's kunai at the last second, taking it out of his hand and saving Kaido's life.

Zabuza quickly moved back and created some distance as I ran over to Kaido's side. His leg was bleeding badly, and he could stand. As far as I was concerned, he was out of the battle. Isumi had not fared too well against her opponent either, as she landed hard on her back after taking a spinning heel kick to the face. She was struggling to try and get back up, but the boy sat on her chest and placed a kunai to her throat. "Give up," he said, fixing his eyes on hers. She had no choice and raised her hand in the air, signaling she had given up. The boy joined Zabuza's side, and the two began circling us like predators. Kaido tried to stand, but his leg was limp from the loss of blood, and he fell back to his knee. "You're out of this fight, Kaido," I said, my back facing him. I couldn't afford to take my eyes off the others, and I didn't know if I could protect Kaido. The larger boy nodded and raised his hand in defeat, taking himself out of the fight. Now it was two on one, and my chances were looking slim. Ninjutsu was not allowed in the Taijutsu matches, which meant no Ice Style. Luckily for me, I could use my Shakuton abilities for Taijutsu and not break the rules. I spun the kunai around in my hand and quickly grabbed it, holding it backward as I took a fighting stance. "Bring it," I said, taunting them with my free hand.

The two charged in at me, both of them zigzagging as they did to confuse me. Zabuza struck first, and I blocked his taijutsu slash with my own kunai. The sound of metal on metal ringing in my ears. The force pushed me back, and I shuffled backward to create more space. Suddenly, the other boy came from my right, slashing in multiple directions. I quickly ducked and weaved, avoiding two attacks before I blocked a big right hand. I grabbed his wrist and shot an elbow into his ribs, cracking him. Quickly pulling his arm over my shoulder, I flipped him over and slammed him on the ground hard, knocking him unconscious. I didn't have time to even turn around as Zabuza took my back, thrusting his taijutsu into it. He didn't stop there as he jumped into the air, spinning around and slamming his heel into my head hard, knocking me to the ground.

The rest of the class were silent as they watched what was happening and waited to see the outcome. To Zabuza's surprise, I stood back up, unaffected by his blow. I had managed to stop the kunai with a layer of bone under the skin where he tried to thrust it in. I had also reinforced my skull, and the force of his kick had done little more than knocking me off my feet. Still, his speed and ability were amazing, especially considering he hadn't even been trained in the academy. Still, I wasn't about to lose here. "Is it my turn now?" I said as I took a fighting pose. I crossed one foot behind the other and opened my arms out low to my sides. Bone spikes started to protrude from all over my body, and I must have looked like a porcupine. Zabuza took a low fighting stance, and his expression looked shocked enough.

The instructor shouted as he appeared in the middle of us. He gave me a hard look. "That's enough for today, you two. This fight is over." I allowed the bones to return back into my body and turned around. The look of all the other students was no surprise. They were whispering amongst themselves, and I swore I had heard someone call me a monster. It made sense, I supposed. The Kagaya clan had their own settlement away from the village and they never sent students to the academy. Even more so, I had overheard some of the instructors speaking about my abilities, saying how rare it was to see. Thankfully, because I had been born into the Yuki Clan, the Kagaya had no right over me, even though I possessed their Kekkei Genkai. That was the way it worked around here. Each clan and family falling into a social order. The main clans and families were the founding families of the Hidden Mist. They had their own clan members train outside of the academy and were exempt from the final test. After that, it was the clans that lived outside of the Hidden Mist. They had to make offerings to the Mist Village and were only useful in times of war. The last on the list was the families that had been forced to live in the Hidden Mist for protection, mostly members of fallen clans. They were what made up most of the Hidden Mist's military force but were also seen as poor and just cannon fodder. If I remembered correctly, not long after this war, there would be a number of small civil wars where most of the clans outside of the Hidden Mist would be killed. That also included the Yuki Clan and the Kagaya Clan. I wondered where I would fall into the equation and if my life would be threatened. I shrugged the thought off and headed to my next class.

Ninjutsu. In the last two weeks, we had all been taught the Hidden Mist Jutsu and how to operate in it. It made sense, of course. We did live in the village hidden in the mist. Along with the Hidden Mist Jutsu, we had also been taught a more advanced substitution jutsu. It would certainly come in handy for future battles. We had continued to learn and practice more jutsu involving our element. I had been left alone mostly, as my Kekkei Genkai abilities could not be taught by anyone other than those with the same abilities. Given that, I was still able to come up with a few new tricks, as well as figuring out some moves I had seen in the anime. Zabuza and the others had been given one basic jutsu to work on for their element. They had been shown the jutsu first and then taught the hand signs. Zabuza, as expected, had learned his water style quite quickly, while the others came along more slowly. We were not allowed to practice our Ninjutsu on each other and were only allowed to use it against training dummies. Our training field was located on one of the academy's training fields, outdoors.

Learning the Hidden Mist Jutsu was very interesting. It allowed us to use our chakra to turn the moisture in the air into mist that spread out. The more chakra you pumped into it, the mist was thick and clouded our enemies and our own vision. Our Sensei said that if we focused our chakra in the mist, we could locate anyone who the mist made contact with. We could even sense our surroundings. It took some practice, but pretty soon we could all move quite freely in the mist. Zabuza seemed to take to it almost naturally, but I remembered he was famous for his silent killing art, which used the Hidden Mist Jutsu a lot.

Pretty soon, our three weeks was up, and all of the students who had made it found themselves in the large announcement hall. Usually, the Mizukage was the one to give the ceremony, but he was currently out of the village on a top-secret S-rank mission. Instead, the head instructor of the academy and two of the Mizukage's advisers gave the speech. It was long-winded on how we had all proved our strength as Hidden Mist shinobi and that we deserved to be here. I didn't really pay too much attention to it, as I was too busy trying to think what was going to happen next.

"We will now announce your new positions and assignments. Listen closely, as I will not repeat myself," the instructor said. He began reading names on a large piece of paper and assigning them to positions or squads within the village. The first and most common position was Genin, to the gate guard and village patrol. It was given to those who had scored the lowest. Next was an assignment to squads or regiments. This position was given to those who were believed to be ready for combat outside of the village, and it was considered a great honor. Out of the 51 students who had made it past the final exam, only 47 had made it to today. Out of the 47 students, only seven had been placed on gate guard, and the rest into units. A member of each of the units or regiments was present to collect those who had been assigned to them. They all looked battle-hardened and wore the standard Hidden Mist attire.

My name was called, and the room went silent. It would seem everyone was eager to see where I would be placed. "Fuyuki, assigned to Frontline Infantry Unit." It was considered a death sentence among the other students. The Frontline Infantry Unit was, as the name implied, frontline. They were always at the head of any major battle on the warfront and usually acted as cannon fodder. I hadn't expected anything else. After all, I had not won but two Kekkei Genkai. I was even sure most of my clan members would also be in the same unit.

"Zabuza Momochi, assigned to the Advanced Sword Unit." The Advanced Sword Unit was the most sought-after position to be assigned, as the members of the unit were usually the ones who would become future members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and in Inaba's case, that was true. I didn't pay much attention to where the others had been placed, but I did know that none of them had been placed with me on the front lines. It was either a testament to my abilities or a death sentence for sure.

Chapter 7

I was collected by a hard-looking man who didn't look impressed when he saw me. "Follow me, kid," he said as he walked away. I followed him out of the hall and out of the academy. It was the first time in 3 years I had been outside of the academy's grounds. While we were in training, none of us had been allowed to leave and go into the village. It had been very strict, but now I couldn't help but feel free.

The first place we went to was to the equipment barracks. This was where ninja reported to for new weapons and clothing. They had everything from basic kunai and shuriken to explosive tags and scrolls. It was a pretty impressive collection. The man who I was with handed a piece of paper to the woman behind the desk, and she nodded. Not a moment later, returning with a pile of clothing and weapons. "All right, kid, this is your new equipment. Put it on, and we'll be on our way."

I nodded and took the equipment off of the desk and went to get changed. I had been given an undershirt of mesh armor along with a black long-sleeve top and a standard gray Hidden Mist flak jacket, complete with a pair of black combat trousers, two weapon holders (one for my leg and one for my hip), and some standard footwear, as well as the signature pinstripe material for bracers and greaves which merged into my sandals. As for my weapons, I was given a good amount of kunai and shuriken, five explosive tags, and two scrolls that had more weapons sealed in them. It was a lot of gear, and I took my time putting it on, using the mirror that was provided. It was the first time I had seen my reflection since before I had joined the academy. I took a long hard look at myself, noticing the Kagaya markings on my forehead, just like Kimimaro had had. My hair was a jet black, just like Katchi's had been. It had gotten somewhat long now and spiked more towards the right, with bangs hanging over either side of the headband that was around my head. My eyes were blue, just like Katchi's were, but my skin had a slight tan to it. I guess I got that from my father, who I didn't know anything about other than the fact he must have been a member of the Kagaya clan. I was snapped out of my thoughts when my supervisor shouted through the changing cubicle. "Hurry it up with you, we don't have all day," he said, letting out a sigh.

I walked out, dressed and ready to go. He actually gave a slight smile. "Now you look like a Hidden Mist mean." We walked out of the equipment barracks onto the main road. The air was moist and filled with mist, like usual. "Right, listen up, kid. We have a full day's journey ahead of us to the border. There, we will meet up with three units and cross the sea to the Land of Hot Water. Once there, we will act as reinforcements in the battle against the Hidden Leaf." I nodded as I took in all of the information. If it was against the Hidden Leaf, then I knew this was going to be a tough battle, probably one we wouldn't win. "All right, I understand." "Good, because we leave now," the man said as he suddenly turned and started running. I did the same and followed him. We exited through the village gates and began to traverse through the trees, jumping from one to the other. We had been made to practice this during our time in the academy as part of our chakra control lessons. It was vital that we could move around quickly and use the terrain to our advantage. The man didn't say another word for the whole trip, and so I too decided to be silent. We didn't stop to rest, but luckily for me, I had decent chakra levels and was able to keep up the physical exertion for long enough until we arrived at our destination.

There was a large camp set up with lots more shinobi waiting to disembark on the three ships in the harbor. The camp was set in an alcove of two large cliffs and it provided a good tactical standpoint for traveling out to sea. The others noticed our arrival and came over to greet us. "Well, look who's back, and I see you brought fresh meat," one of the men said, looking at me with a smile. The man with me, who had just been called Nobu, gestured to me. "This here is Fuyuki. Only one of his class to be given to us this year." The others who heard the name laughed a little before one of them broke the silence. "You must have really pissed someone off to be sent with us, kid. You know genin don't last long on the front lines," he said with a laugh from the others. Nobu turned to me as they left, talking amongst themselves. "Make yourself at home, kid, and get some rest. We leave in a few hours." With that, he walked away and left me by myself. I decided to get some food from the small food tent. It was a help-yourself stand with a large pot of stew that had been left with bowls next to it. I got myself a bowl and sat down to eat on a rock. Most of the others were in groups chatting away, some were checking their weapons, and others fast asleep on the ground. It was completely different than the academy had been.

My meal was interrupted by a sudden outburst of raised voices coming from not too far from where I was sat. I decided to take a peek and could see a group forming around whatever was happening. Squeezing through a small gap, I managed to get a better look at what was going on. There were three men dressed in robes, each with a crazy look in their eye. They were facing off against six other men, all wearing the standard Hidden Mist attire, and it looked like a fight was about to break out. "[Expletive] Kagaya, watch where you're going, scum!" one of the men shouted. The word Kagaya piqued my attention. I looked at the three men in robes closer and was shocked to see they were all from the Kagaya clan. Their hair was tied back, and the zigzag cranial pattern in the center of their head was visible. They also had the red markings on their foreheads. It was so obvious they were Kagaya, I don't know how I had missed it. "Say that again, and I'll kill all of you," one of the Kagaya said with a large, devilish smile on his face. You could feel the bloodlust in the air as the pressure around both groups got heavier.

Suddenly, Nobu stood in the middle of them. "What the hell is going on here?" he shouted, looking at the six men. They all stood to attention and said, "Nothing, sir." Quickly, Nobu turned to face the three Kagaya. "Care to let me in on what's happening here?" he said. The Kagaya gave a small smile and turned his back. "Nothing, just having a friendly chat, reminding your men of their place," he said as the three of them walked away, murder still strong in their eyes. Nobu turned back to the others and slapped one of them on the head. "Are you [expletive] crazy? What the hell are you doing picking a fight with the Kagaya? Not a second longer, and you all would have been killed." The others tried to defend their action, but Nobu wasn't having it, as he told them to get lost and stay out of the way. All three of the Kagaya had a large build and a killer feel about them. The one in the middle, who I guess was the leader of the small group, turned and looked at me as they walked away. His half-cut eyebrows lowering as he noticed the red markings on my forehead. I decided this was a good time to slip through the small crowd and disappear from his view. The attention of those crazy bastards was the last thing I needed right now.

Pretty soon, we had boarded the boats and set sail across the Misty Sea. The boats were nothing impressive and were more built for stealth than anything else. Each boat carried about 30 shinobi. There was quite the lack of space, and we were all forced to squash in together. Luckily for me, I had boarded a different boat to the one the Kagaya had gotten on. Being in a tight space with them was not a good idea. On the journey, we were all briefed on the mission at hand. It turned out that the Hidden Mist had turned the Land of Hot Water into a small base. The Land of Hot Water was located on the west side of the Land of Fire's borders and made it a perfect place to serve as a base. Our mission was simple: provide reinforcements to the front lines who were currently battling and out with the Hidden Leaf forces along the border. Apparently, the Hidden Leaf's forces had been spread thin, as they were being attacked by the Hidden Stone Village, who were using the Land of Grass as a base of operations and attacking from there. We were also warned of the Hidden Cloud, as they have recently engaged us in battle but retreated and fallen back to the Land of Frost that was on their border. Rumors spread that the Mizukage himself was leading the battle against Konoha, but none of the others could confirm it was true.

The trip across the sea lasted us a full day, and I had even been sick a couple of times from the seasickness that came with the inexperience of sailing. We seemed to arrive safely on the shore and met no threats. Nobu took to the front, as it turned out he was the commanding officer of this unit. "All right, let's move out!" he shouted. Everyone gave a roar and started running, following after him. I too joined the herd of shinobi and started running. I was by far the youngest person there. Some of the others looked 16 and above, but none were near my age. There was a good mix of both men and women too, not that it mattered. We were taught not to underestimate your opponent based on their age or gender. Our large group split into three, just like we had with boarding the boats, and quickly started jumping through the large trees. The scenery was pretty much all forest as far as the eye could see, but I was guessing we were headed for something less pleasant to the eyes.

Not long had passed, and we arrived at our destination. The forest had ended as we came to a large piece of flat land. There were tents and defensive trenches built around the makeshift camp. It was filled with Hidden Mist shinobi, some of which looked worse for wear. It was the first time I had seen a true battlefield with my own eyes. It was like a scene from an Old World War I tape. Trenches had been dug as a defensive setting. Weapons were scattered across the flat top that I guessed was no man's land. Further out, the ground was scorched, and the earth had been blackened by fire and explosions. The dead bodies of Mist and Leaf shinobi still scattered across the battlefield, a fresh reminder of what awaited many of us who had arrived. Nobu met with the other commanding officers who briefed him of the situation. Meanwhile, the troops around me spread out into small groups and began to chat amongst themselves. The units of soldiers that were already here looked tired and fresh from battle, with most being covered in dirt or blood.

Suddenly, I felt a heavy pressure come from behind me, and I slowly turned around. It was the Kagaya men from before. I quickly tried to walk away, but my path was blocked by the three of them. The leader spoke first. "No need to be rude, little one. We only want to ask you some questions," he said, a large smile on his battle-hardened face. I turned to look at him and nodded. "What do you want from me?" He crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side. I couldn't help notice the markings on your forehead. Only members of the Kagaya have such markings, and I've never seen you before. Who are you?" I could tell I wasn't leading until they were satisfied with my answer, so I decided I had no choice. "My name is Fuyuki," I said without fear or hesitation in my voice. The large brute looked at me intriguingly. He uncrossed his arms and was about to speak when suddenly a voice shouted, "Am I…?" The sounds of explosions got everyone's attention as bodies went flying through the air. Swarms of Hidden Leaf shinobi were appearing out of the forest, and they were trying to end the surprise attack fast. In a way, it felt like I had just been saved from whatever the Kagaya was about to do. Our commanders ordered us to counterattack, and the ways of Hidden Mist and Hidden Leaf shinobi clashed in an all-out battle to the death. It was a mess of blood and blades, fire and water, men and women, he even children littered the battlefield as the battle raged on. It was hard to tell who was friend or foe in the chaos of battle. The commanders had ordered as many shinobi who were able to use the Hidden Mist Jutsu, while the Hidden Leaf forces countered with a combined fire style. I was unlucky and had been caught in the middle of battle. My senses were at their maximum, and my body seemed to move on its own, taking advantage of my Kekkei Genkai abilities. I had already sprouted bone spikes around my body and killed anyone who dared attack me. I flipped and danced through the air, blocking and attacking in a whirlwind of unstoppable fury. My bones were harder than steel and easily cut through any protection that the Hidden Leaf shinobi were wearing. I had pressed so far forwards that soon I realized I was all alone on the front line. I had sworn there were at least 10 others with me. My odds were not looking good as I was surrounded on all sides by Leaf shinobi. "What the hell is this, kid?" one of them shouted. "Let's kill him quickly, he's already taken out too many of us," another one said. I decided it was time to make my escape, and my window was closing fast. Quickly, I formed the hand signs, and a dome of ice covered me, blocking a handful of taijutsu as it did. "It's ice!" one of them shouted. "Let's use a combined fire style," said another. I knew my ice was fire-resistant, but against a combined fire style, I doubted it would hold. Luckily for me, I had already planned for this while training in the Ninjutsu classes back at the academy. Making the hand signs as fast as I could, an ice mirror formed in front of me. I stepped into the crystal mirror of ice just as the Leaf shinobi unleashed their fire style. I had figured this jutsu out by remembering Haku had used it in the anime and had decided to practice it. Another mirror had formed well above the battlefield in the sky, and that's where I slipped out from. This height, I could see the entire battlefield and which side my allies were on. As I started free-falling, I created another ice mirror, falling right into it. My other ice mirror appeared near the back of the trench. I slipped out of it a little fast and rolled along the ground, recovering onto my hands and knees. Nobu was barking orders from the rear, keeping the others in formation and holding the line. He must have noticed my presence, and he turned and looked behind him. "Well, well, you're still alive," he said, almost seeming impressed. "If you have time to sit and rest, then you had better get your arse back in the fight," he suddenly screamed. I nodded and got up to my feet, heading back into the battle.

The Hidden Leaf had used a combined Earth style to create a large wall that they were attacking from and using as a defensive advantage. The Hidden Mist Jutsu had all but faded now, as a large number of fire styles had changed the temperature of the air. Most of the Mist ninja were taking cover in the trench, while a small handful was on the front lines engaged in battle. To no surprise of mine, the three Kagaya was at the front, striking down all who stood before them. It didn't look as if anyone of them possessed the Kekkei Genkai of their clan, but they were still fierce warriors without it. One of the men who had mocked me when I first arrived at the camp with Nobu was taking cover in the trench when he spotted me. "Hey, kid, you have a Kekkei Genkai, don't you? Get your arse out there and be useful." The others around him started chiming in, and I was pretty much pushed onto the battlefield. The Hidden Mist Village really was a [expletive] up place. I turned back, looking at him with disgust. "Go on, kid, we will cover you," he said, raising a kunai. There was only one thing left for it. I had to charge dead ahead and try not to die. I had already done it once, and I swore I wouldn't do it again. This world had granted me power, and I was going to use it all to come out of this war alive.

Chapter 8

I had been forced to the front lines by the others who were too cowardly to do it themselves. Only a small number of Hidden Mist were battling at the front, while the rest provided support from cover. Kunai and other weapons were flying through the air. Ninjutsu was being used all over the place as fire and water clashed in intense heat. The Hidden Leaf was using the cover of their Earth style walls to fire projectiles from their attacks. Their attacks seemed more coordinated than ours did, their warriors battling together and not just for themselves. I didn't have time to stop moving as we were outnumbered, at least 5 to one. My lungs were burning, and my eyes stung from the blood dripping over them. I had lost count how many of them I had killed, but more kept coming. Our odds were looking even worse now, as it seemed Konoha reinforcements had arrived from the forest.

I was speeding through the Hidden Leaf ranks, slashing out with every part of my body. My bones had covered me and provided a huge advantage for offensive and defensive abilities. The piles of dead shinobi started to pile up around me as no one seemed to be able to touch me. "Expansion Jutsu!" I heard come from behind me. Turning to look, I was suddenly slapped by a giant hand, and it sent me flying through the air. I managed to flip backward and slid along the floor, recovering. I lost sight of whoever had used the jutsu on me, and more Hidden Leaf shinobi attacked from all sides. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" two of them shouted, using the same jutsu together. I was able to counter as I created an ice mirror to block the flames. Quickly, I slipped into it, and to their surprise, appeared behind them in another mirror I had created. I slashed both of their throats before they had a chance to counter, landing on my toes in a tight squat position.

"Charge, men!" a voice shouted from behind me. Waves of Hidden Mist pushed past me as I slowly stood up, wiping the blood from my face. I watched as the three Kagaya charged past me, but not before they gave me an alarming look. Somehow, we were holding the line despite the advanced numbers of the Leaf shinobi. "We could really win this if we keep this up," I thought as I watched the battle unfold. Suddenly, waves of Hidden Mist were smashed into the air by a massive black staff that seemed to be stretching across the battlefield. A whistle sounded in the background. "Retreat!" The voice from the front shouted. It was Nobu. He blew the whistle again and shouted for everyone to fall back. I watched as my fellow Hidden Mist, who not 5 seconds ago had charged into battle ready to die, now they were running with their tails between their legs. It was then that I caught a glimpse of why. The staff shrunk back down, and I could see a man standing at the front of the Hidden Leaf forces. He wore a black jumpsuit with mesh segments over the lower portions of his limbs. The most noticeable thing had to…

Be the armored Hood with a bandana-like forehead protector that was tied with two long straps. If my memory was right, he was the third Hokage. My suspicion was confirmed as the Shinobi around me started screaming as they ran for their lives.

"It's the Hokage! Run for your lives!" one of them shouted.

"He will kill us all!" another voice said as they ran as fast as they could back into the forest.

The rest was a blur as all I could see was moving bodies, and they rushed to take cover, running for their lives. Massive shuriken cut through the lines of ninja that were still trying to get away. "It was the Hokage's Jutsu! He had thrown one, and then it suddenly turned into 20, flying in all directions." They were too big to stop and shredded anything they hit before sticking in the earth, covered in the blood of their targets.

I retreated into the forest with the other survivors, which wasn't many. Even though I had been struck down by one of the massive shurikens the Hokage had unleashed, I guess we were heading back for the boats and would retreat back to the land of water. That plan was quickly cut short as a mass of Hidden Leaf ninja appeared in the forest, blocking our path.

"Attack!" their leader shouted. The hellfire of battle started again, but this time it was more of a slaughter. The Hidden Mist ninja had been so focused on getting away that they had failed to notice the enemy attack until the last moment. Some tried to fight back, but there were too many enemies, and they didn't stand a chance. Alone, a few were able to slip past the onslaught, team myself included. I had managed to kill three of them before slipping past the left flank and away into the forest. I didn't look back to see the screams. I didn't slow my pace, and I didn't care. All that mattered was that I made it off that hell alive.

After a short time, I had made it back to the shoreline, but to my surprise, the Hidden Leaf had already sabotaged the boats. I slipped back into the trees and darted off. I had to find a safe place to hide for now. They would probably send out small teams to hunt for any survivors, and I didn't fancy being taken prisoner. The screams and sound of battle had stopped a while ago now, and I assumed it was over.

I stopped, squatting down on a thick branch I had landed on. I could see three Hidden Mist ninja hidden behind a tree. I guess they had seen the same as me and were trying to come up with a plan. I jumped down and walked over to them, slowly, giving them a shock by accident.

"Got it, you!"

"We could have killed you then, brat. Be a little smarter next time, will you?" the man said as he lowered his kunai. It was the man who had pushed me out of the trench, saying he would cover me. Of course, he would survive, I thought to myself. He was with another man who was injured, and the other was a woman. She was tending to the gash on his leg, but it wasn't looking good.

"How the hell did you survive, kid?" the man asked me as he sat down, leaning back against the large tree.

I shrugged. "Have you seen the boats?" I asked.

He nodded with a grim expression on his face. "Nothing left to do than find our own way back."

I looked over to the other two as the man let out a small groan. "Will he make it?" I asked, looking back to the other one.

"Hell if I know, kid. Stop asking me so many goddamn questions."

I was about to sit down when the bushes moved to the right of us. I was about to attack, but I stopped when I saw who it was. It was the man from the Kagaya clan who had tried to ask me questions. That time, he was alone, and I guess the other two were dead. His face was still the same, but just had blood on it, which made him seem even more threatening. The others relaxed a little, but not much, as they realized it wasn't an enemy.

"I swear, if anyone else pops out of a bush..." he was cut off as the Kagaya man spoke.

"So, you survived? I am not surprised. You have a gift," he said, his voice deep.

I watched him carefully. "Um, thanks," I said, not sure what else to say.

He walked over to the injured man, who let out another groan. The woman was trying to use what I assumed was medical Ninjutsu on him, but it didn't seem to be working. The Kagaya suddenly slashed the man's throat, and the woman screamed in shock.

"What the hell?" she shouted as she raised a kunai.

The Kagaya man's face didn't change as he gave her an intense look. "He was going to die anyway," he said as he walked back over to me. My guard was up now. Was he going to try and attack me or just chat? I had no idea.

"Yuki, was it?" he asked as he stood over me, his massive frame shadowing my own.

"Who are you?" I asked, looking up to meet his gaze.

He smiled. "My name is Tachi Kagaya." As I looked closer at the man, I realized he didn't have a mark on him. He moved his massive hand so I could see it. A large bone started protruding from his skin. He held it there for a moment before allowing it to slide back into his skin. I couldn't help but give a surprised look, and he smiled before he spoke. "I was the only member of the Kagaya with the Shakatu Makaku until I heard rumors of a young boy in the Academy of Kiri who possessed the same ability. Not only do you possess our clan's most powerful Kekkai Genkai, but you also possess the Ice Release of the Yuki Clan. It is unheard of. Tell me, boy, what was your mother's name?" His face was a little twisted as he spoke, and I could tell he had a screw loose.

"Her name is Katchi Yuki," I said, not even blinking as I spoke.

Tachi turned around and started laughing. His laugh grew louder before he stopped and looked off into the distance. "Ten finger drilling bullets!" he shouted as he threw both arms out, crossing them over. Ten bullet-shaped bones shot out of each of his fingertips and ripped a three-man squad of Hidden Leaf shinobi to shreds. Tachi must have easily been over 30 years old, giving him a long time to master his abilities. I bet he knew how to do things I had not even been able to think of.

The other Hidden Mist ninja quickly jumped up at the sudden attack.

"Shit, they found us!" the man said as he scouted the surrounding area.

"Hidden Mist Jutsu!" the woman shouted as she made the hand signs. Mist suddenly whipped up all around us, and the two of them darted up into the trees. I looked at Tachi, and he looked back at me.

"After you, kid," he said, waving a hand. I didn't hesitate. Taking my chances with him was probably better than with a small army of Hidden Leaf. We jumped through the trees for a good hour at least, trying to cover as much distance as we could. If there were still teams of Konoha shinobi looking for us, then it was probably best not even stopping at all. However, I was starting to feel the effects of the previous battle. I had used a lot of chakra, and my small body was exhausted. I was starting to lag behind, and the others could tell.

"Come on, kid, keep the pace up!" the man shouted as he stopped on a thick branch. I stopped, trying to catch my breath. I felt as if I was about to pass out and took a knee.

"We need to stop and rest," the woman said, taking pity on me. "He's just a kid," she also added.

Tachi stayed silent, but the look he gave the man said it all. "Fine, we will make camp down there for now, but only until he is ready to move out again." I looked down and could see a small clearing with a stream running through it. It felt like I had drunk enough water to fill a bathtub. I was sat on my knees and washed the blood off my face, looking at my reflection. It was a sad fact that killing was such a small thing in this world. I had never killed anyone before. I was reborn here, now I had killed too many to even bother counting. The others were also resting up, apart from Tachi, who just sat with his legs crossed on a large stone. It made me wonder if he was the only member of his clan with the Kekkai Genkai. Did that mean it was a dormant gene, only awakening to an extremely small few, or did it have to be passed on by those who had the Kekkai Genkai already? Questions for later, I thought as I lay on my back, looking up at the sky. The sun was starting to set now, and the final streams of sunlight broke through the tree leaves. It had been one hell of a day, and I couldn't seem to fight the exhaustion any longer as my body gave way to sleep, and my eyes closed.

"Wake up! Wake up, goddamn it!" the voice said as its owner shook my body. I had been in such a deep sleep that I had failed to notice the ambush. Hidden Leaf Shinobi attacked from all sides. There were at least 15 of them. I looked over to the left and could see Tachi fighting with five of them. The woman in our group was on the ground, screaming as her arm had been cut off.

"We have to get..." his words were cut off as two kunai hit him in the head. His blood splashed on my face as his body hit the ground hard. That was it. I was up, and I was alert, rolling backward onto my feet. I created a dome of ice around me for protection. From inside, I could see the enemy ninja moving, and some even attacked my defense. I formed a few hand signs, and the ice around me shattered, skewering anyone who was close to it. Even with my abilities, I couldn't see through the back of my head, and two kunai hit me in the back. They didn't do any damage as I had already put up my defenses, causing them to barely pierce my skin. There were six of them around me in a circle. All except for one was wearing the standard Konoha flak jacket. The last one had the Anbu gray jacket on, and his face was covered by a mask. I had to watch out for him, I thought.

"Watch out, this kid is a monster!" one of the Leaf Shinobi said. "I watched him kill dozens of our men in the battle. He's no ordinary ninja," he also added.

Meanwhile, Tachi was battling it out with five other Anbu members. His skills were incredible, as his abilities made him untouchable. They had already clocked onto his abilities and decided to get some distance and attack with Ninjutsu. Tachi took one of them down with his bone bullets as they broke through the Anbu's defense, snapping his sword and ripping through his body. The others realized they couldn't block the attack and dodged instead.

"Sir, there are only two left. This one and the child who is surrounded," one of them said.

The other didn't even look at him as he spoke through his mask. "They both die. Lord Danzo's orders," he said. Now, one of the Anbu shouted, and he started making hand signs. Two of the other Anbu quickly dashed behind Tachi and started making their own hand signs. The two from the front unleashed a massive Fire Style Jutsu, and the two from behind a Wind Style. They were combining Wind and Fire to create an even more powerful effect. Tachi was caught in the attack, and from where I was standing, it looked like it was all over. I had my own problems, though. If these guys saw any more of my Jutsu, they would come up with a way to counter it. Nobody had made a move yet, and the tension was starting to grow. If I wanted to make it out of this alive, I had to come up with something, and fast. Then it hit me. I wasn't sure if it would work, but I was running out of options.

"Hidden Jutsu: Ice Clones!" I shouted as I made the hand signs. Two clones of me formed from ice and took a fighting stance. The two clones jumped into combat as I quickly made an ice mirror and slipped into it.

"Don't let him escape into that Jutsu!" the Anbu member of the six of them shouted. My clones were easily struck down, but that had been my plan. As soon as they had made contact with the enemy, I made a hand sign with one hand, and boom! Both clones exploded, shattering ice spikes all over. Two of the six were dealt fatal blows, and the others had managed to recover. The distraction, however, had allowed me to form the other crystallized mirrors all around the other members. They were baffled and took a back-to-back formation, holding their weapons up, ready.

"What the hell is this kid?" one of them shouted.

"He's one of those ice demons!" one of the others said, the fear in his voice showing.

I interrupted them as I spoke. "Hidden Jutsu: Crystalized Mirrors. This is the end for you." I had practiced this Jutsu and was amazed at how strong it was when Haku had used this in the anime. I quickly realized how much he was holding back against Naruto and Sasuke.

"Which one is the real one?" one of the ninjas said, panicking as he looked at all the mirrors which had my full reflection in them.

"I killed him first!" With blinding speed, I shot out of the mirror I was in and darted across to another. As I was midway through, I launched the bone bullets from my fingertips, and his body was riddled with holes. The others froze in fear at the sight of their comrade's body. One of them quickly turning around and making a run for it.

"No, wait!" the Anbu member shouted, but it was too late. I dashed faster than they could see and shoved one of my bone blades down to his shoulder and into his heart. Now there were only two of them left, and I could tell they didn't like their chances. The massive fire and wind styles had combined, burning everything around it to a crisp.

"Did we get him?" one of the Anbu asked. Nobody said anything for a moment, not until they saw Tachi's body. Somehow, he had survived the attack. His body looked demonic, as all of his flesh and clothes had been burned away. His entire body was an outer layer of bone, like an exoskeleton. The sight of it was haunting to the Hidden Leaf Shinobi. "What in the hell is he? That Jutsu should have melted even his bones." Tachi, despite looking like an immortal monster, had still been wounded. He had covered his entire body in solid bone, even his mouth and eyes, to make sure they hadn't been melted by the intense heat. All of his skin had been stripped off, and the pain he felt must have been excruciating. Despite that, he gave out a howling battle cry, and he charged at the Leaf Anbu. He managed to take one of them off guard and sliced right through his sword, cutting into his chest, dealing a fatal blow. The other one next to him slashed at the back of his neck with his sword, but it snapped as it made contact with the solid bone. Tachi quickly countered as spikes fired out of his body from all areas. One of them hitting the shinobi in the shoulder.

"Water Style: Raging Waves Jutsu!" one of the Anbu shouted as he fired a massive jet of water at Tachi. The force of the water was enough to keep him routed against the tree trunk he had slapped against. The other quickly made some hand signs and extended his hand. "Lightning Style!" he shouted as a blade of electricity shot out, hitting the water. Tachi was unable to move and was hit by the combined water and lightning styles, zapping him and leaving him badly hurt. His bones may have been harder than steel, but they were not resistant to lightning. Tachi dropped to his knees, breathing heavily. The battle had taken it out of him, and he was seriously wounded now. The two Anbu jumped over, one helping his injured comrade up, and the other drawing his sword on Tachi.

"Any last words?" he said as he infused his blade with lightning style chakra. The two Leaf Shinobi were back to back as they faced my crystallized mirrors. Both had their weapons drawn and were trying to find a way out. I was trying to keep them in the middle while also keeping an eye on what was going on around me. Tachi was down, and I could tell he wasn't far from being killed. There was nothing I could do. I had to kill these two and make a break for it. That was my only chance of survival. I quickly zoomed from mirror to mirror, firing out bone bullets from my fingertips. As I did, they did well to dodge at first, but soon the normal Leaf Shinobi, who I had guessed from his skill was a Jonin, started to lose speed. I hit him with one of my bone bullets, and the continuous fire finished him off. I appeared behind the Anbu member and clashed blades with him. My bone blade was easily stronger than his steel one, but despite that, it was able to hold against it. He was stronger than me, and his skill was clearly greater than mine. He pushed me back on the defensive, and our blades locked in a battle of strength. I had to use all of my focus and chakra control to match what I was guessing was just his normal strength. I quickly pulled back and started making hand signs with one hand. I couldn't see his face behind his mask, but I could tell he was surprised. The moisture in the air quickly turned into ice spikes, and they shot all around him. The Anbu quickly used a chakra jump and avoided the attack. He flipped in the air and threw four shuriken at me. I deflected them with my bone blade and made a run back for one of my ice mirrors. That was the downfall of this technique. Once you left the safety of the ice mirrors, the only way back to it was to physically slip back into one by touching it again. He must have realized because he swiftly blocked my escape and struck me back with a big sidekick. Even with my ribs shooting out to block the strike, it still hurt. Our power difference was too great. My chances were looking slim now, and he knew it.

"I hope you are ready to die for what you have done, kid," he shouted, pointing his sword at me. He definitely had the upper hand. That was until I noticed him standing in a small puddle of water on the ground. I don't know how it had got there, but boy, was I happy it was. This was my chance. If I could pull this off, I would win. I knew he was too fast and could dodge my bone bullet technique, so I pulled an explosive kunai out of my holder without him seeing. I fired five bone bullets, and just as I predicted, he lunged forwards as he dodged them, trying to close the distance. I threw the explosive kunai at the ground. He noticed it and quickly jumped backward.

"Just a little more!" I shouted as I ran out of the dust that the explosive had created. I flipped in the air, smashing a tornado kick into him, which he blocked with his sword, causing him to take a step back.

"Now, Ice Pillar!" I shouted as I slapped both hands on the ground. The water around his feet suddenly froze and shot up, erecting a pillar of ice, freezing his entire body and killing him.

I sat on the ground, trying to catch my breath. I had used almost all of my chakra now. I didn't know if I would be able to escape.

"The Kagaya clan lives on!" Tachi shouted at the top of his lungs. I turned around and watched as the Leaf Anbu cut his head off. As the lightning-enhanced sword cut through his neck, it was a clean cut, but the added cutting power from the lightning style made it able to get through his bone exoskeleton. Tachi's head fell to the ground, and his body followed. This was really looking bad now. Not only was I the only one left, but they had found a way to bypass my Kekkai Genkai. I noticed that the three of them looked surprised as they approached slowly. They noticed their comrade frozen in ice and the others who were spread around.

"He managed to kill the others by himself."

"He's just a kid."

"Be on your guard. He may be a kid, but he is powerful," the what I guessed leader of the group said. I took a stand and weighed my options. If I made a break for it, they would just cut me down with ease. I could try and slip into one of my ice mirrors, but I doubt I would make it either. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they... My thoughts were cut off as the crystallized mirrors started to shatter and fall. My chakra was running dangerously low now, and I couldn't even maintain the Jutsu.

"I guess that option is out of the window," I said under my breath.

"Give it up, kid. There is nowhere to go," the Anbu said. I was like a cornered rat, but like most cornered rats, I would go out fighting. I drew a large bone that protruded out of the top of my shoulder and then did the same from the other side. I had a blade in each hand and took a low, primal position. Bones started to sprout from my entire body as I was preparing myself to at least take one of them with me if I was going to die again.

"Watch out! He has the same Jutsu the other one did. Proceed with caution," the leader said.

"They must be from the same clan," the other said as he allowed his lightning style to flow through his blade. This was it. If even a leaf fell from the trees, one of us would charge, and we all knew it.

"Watch out!" the Anbu leader shouted as a storm of shuriken and kunai littered our small battleground. The Anbu was able to deflect the onslaught but retreated back to get a better view of the situation. Three Hidden Mist Shinobi landed in front of me.

"Looks like it's your lucky day, kid," one of them said, not turning to face me. I didn't recognize any of them, but that didn't matter. I was just glad they had shown up when they did.

"Damn reinforcements! Retreat!" the Anbu leader said as he threw a smoke bomb down at the ground. The other Anbu quickly grabbed the injured one, and they all escaped through the tree line. The Mist shinobi didn't give chase and instead turned to face me. The man in the middle took a look around at the aftermath of our skirmish and whistled.

"Damn, kid, did you do all this?" he asked, seeming quite impressed. I no longer had the energy to speak, and now that the threat had diminished, my body felt like lead. I fell to one knee as I tried to catch myself before falling. The Mist ninja looked at each other and nodded.

"Come on, kid, let's get you back to the checkpoint."

Chapter Nine

I was pretty much carried back by the three Mist ninja that came to my rescue. They said we were retreating to a small base camp located on the edge of the Land of Hot Water and Land of Frost. They had been patrolling the area when they happened upon me and saved my life. Thank God they did, as I didn't want to die again. Once we arrived at the base camp, I had to give a full report of the battle to the commanding officer. After that, I was allowed to rest and given food and water and some new clothes since mine were full of holes and blood. Word was spreading like wildfire of the huge battle between the Hidden Stone and Hidden Mist against the Hidden Cloud. The rumor was that the third Raikage was dead, along with Armage. Apparently, the Raikage took out 10,000 troops over 3 days before he died. One of the Mist ninjas said. Others chipped in and chatted amongst themselves. Panic over the Mizukage's death was starting to spread. Our commanding officers were trying to keep the rumors to a minimum, but to no avail.

Two days had passed, and I had fully recovered from my previous battle. Word had spread that I was the lone survivor in the battle with the Hidden Leaf, even surviving against the Third Hokage. I was summoned to my commanding officer's tent, told that I was being assigned to a new unit and given new orders. I entered the tent, walking over to where the commanders were gathered around a large table with a map laid out over it. They were discussing strategy and recording enemy information to send back to HQ. I bowed and greeted the Jonin, waiting for his permission to move. He acknowledged me and told me to raise my head.

"F. Yuki, correct?" he stated more than asked. I nodded, not saying a word.

"Word from HQ has arrived telling me what to do with you, kid. Seems you're being promoted to the rank of Chunin. Congratulations on that. Not many Chunin make it through their first battle. You're being assigned to a new unit to gather intel on the Hidden Leaf. You will be working as part of a 10-man cell. Your meeting coordinates are within this scroll. You are to be there for midday. Dismissed."

It was a lot of information to take in at once. I had been given a new mission, been promoted, and been told I was heading back into enemy territory. The training at the Academy had taught us not to ask questions and only to obey. Not really having a choice, I bowed and took my leave. I restocked my equipment and headed to the coordinates located on the scroll. Seems I was heading back into the Land of Hot Water and meeting my new team just before the border to the Land of Fire. As I jumped through the trees, making my way to the meeting point, I realized it was the first time I had had any time alone to think. Just what would my presence in this world change, if anything at all? What did my future hold? Would I meet Naruto and some of the other main characters? I had so many questions that before I knew it, I had arrived at my destination. It seemed that I was the last to arrive, and the others were waiting on me. They noticed my presence and stared me down as I approached. Who I guessed was the leader stepped forward and greeted me.

"So, you're the last one they're sending, eh? Whatever, falling kid," he said with a gruff voice. "Ao, you're not much older than him. He's your responsibility." I turned to look at him. He looked no older than 16. He didn't say anything, and I turned my attention back to our squad leader.

"All right, you sorry lot, listen up. I'm Sai Yachi, your squad leader for this mission," the man spoke. He had a large frame and rough features. He was bald and had a strong black beard. Like the others, his headband was around his head, and he wore the standard Mist battle attire. I was by far the youngest in the squad. Next was Ao, whose name I had heard but couldn't place. There were three women, and the rest were boys and men.

"Our mission is to gather intel on supply lines supporting the Hidden Leaf. Intel shows that they are supplying their forces with food and equipment through these supply lines. We are to locate the supply and destroy it. This should prevent their frontline forces from obtaining necessary suppliers, giving us and our allies the advantage." It was a straightforward mission, simple sabotage, I thought. "Intel also shows that these supply lines are guarded with an escort, the abilities of which are unknown, so be ready for anything. We move out in 10 minutes. Prep your equipment for battle. Dismissed."

The others went about their own business, as no one seemed to really know each other. The Squad Captain seemed to know Ao, and one or two of the others had started a conversation. I decided to do a check over my equipment and mind my own business. Ao came over and leaned against the tree next to me with his arms crossed over his chest.

"So, I hear you're a member of the Yuki Clan," he asked. I nodded without looking at him as I placed my kunai back into my weapon holder.

"How old are you, kid?" he asked. I turned to look at him, and I had to think about his question for a few seconds. If I remember correctly, I had turned nine a day ago.

"Nine. I'm nine years old," I said.

Ao chuckled to himself. "Well, kid, let's hope you make it to 10." And with that, he walked off to tend to his equipment. From everything I had experienced, the Hidden Mist ninja was nothing like I had seen the Hidden Leaf ninja be in the anime and manga. They were cold and ruthless killing machines. The Hidden Leaf seemed warm and welcoming, but the Mist was nothing like that. I was quickly snapped out of my thoughts by Sai.

"All right, you lot, let's move out!" he shouted as he jumped up into the trees, leading us on our mission. We all quickly followed suit and followed in an arrow formation with one at our center back, like a funny-looking diamond shape. It was a basic formation we used when moving through enemy territory, and it was taught to us even in the Academy. We had been traveling for well over half a day before we stopped to rest and set up our first checkpoint. Luckily, we had managed not to run into any enemy scouts. We were given time to rest and eat. Our meal was just our basic ration bars. They didn't taste of anything but gave you everything you needed to keep your energy levels up. We couldn't cook anything, as a fire would give away our position. It was late now, and the moon was a sliver in the sky, not giving much light. We took turns on guard while the others slept, doing an hour each. I drifted off looking at the stars and for a moment forgot all about what had happened to me.

Next thing I knew, it was time to get up, and I was woken up by a rather hard kick to the bottom of my foot. I had been woken up like that many times back in the Academy, and you never got used to it. We were up in a military-like fashion, and had soon eliminated all trace that we were ever there. We had covered a lot of distance and were now in the northwest of the Land of Fire. Further north was the Land of Waterfalls, and further northwest was the Land of Grass. The Land of Grass had become a battleground between the Hidden Stone and the Hidden Leaf and was the main focus of the war. We were closing in on our objective, and according to our Intel, the supply line was due to make a delivery to the front line troops today, meaning we would set up an ambush to destroy the supplies and kill any resistance met. It was basic guerrilla warfare. Once the plan had been laid out, we took our positions, and it became a simple waiting game. I had been placed with Ao, and the others were also placed in units of two, tactically split up in a full 360° diameter of the path. It was a perfect ambush tactic that allowed us to strike hard and fast from every angle to gain a total advantage over our enemy. We must have waited for about 2 hours before the supply line came into view. Three large wagons were being pulled by horses, and the wagons were filled with supplies. Each wagon had two people on them, and four shinobi surrounding them on each side. There was also a team of Hidden Leaf ninja that looked to be younger than the others. It was most likely a Jonin and his team of Genin or Chunin. That made four civilians, eight Shinobi guards, and one four-man team. 12 enemies in total, and only 10 of us. As the caravan got closer to the ambush zone, Ao nudged me and stated that one of the guards on the port side of the first wagon was a Hyuga. I knew that meant he possessed the Byakugan. I could tell Ao was on edge, and I could understand why. They were a very well-known clan in the Hidden Leaf Village and praised for their powerful Kekkai Genkai. From what I could remember, if he decided to activate his eyes, then our ambush would be pointless. However, I also knew if I acted without orders from Sai, there would be consequences.

Not a moment later, the first strike came. "A storm of shuriken and kunai was unleashed from the tree lines, coming from every angle. Now!" Ao said as he dashed towards the Hyuga member, his blade drawn, going for the kill. The wagon drivers and a few of the less suspecting or less skilled Leaf ninja had been killed from the initial onslaught. Now only six remained.

"It's an ambush! Counter-defense is now!" one of the Leaf ninjas shouted, but it was too late. Sai made quick work of him and led the assault with the others following. Ao was locked in battle with the Hyuga member, and he was on the defensive. Ao was starting to get desperate and could not match his opponent's superior Taijutsu. Overcommitting, the thrust from his blade, the Hyuga spun and struck him with his fingers. Ao screamed out in pain, and the Hyuga struck again and again in a blinding fury. I had seen this before and guessed this was the 64 Palms technique. I slid underneath one of the Leaf ninjas and slashed his Achilles. As I did, the man fell to the ground screaming before I silenced him with the killing blow. Two of the others tried to attack me from either side, but I unleashed a full bone defense, impaling them before they could react. I ended up with a few stares from my teammates, but the battle quickly took their attention. Two of our female teammates rushed to Ao's aid, trying to attack the Hyuga from both sides. He was too fast, and with his Byakugan activated, could see them coming from a mile away. He jumped backwards and suddenly spun so fast that he smashed both of the girls through the air, and they crashed into the ground hard. A storm of shuriken flew through the air right at him, but again, he quickly spun so fast that he deflected all of them without breaking a sweat. One of the shuriken deflected and struck Ao in his right eye, knocking him to the ground, screaming in pain. The rest of us that were not engaged in battle surrounded him. No one willing to make the first move. It was a stalemate, and I knew I had to be careful fighting this guy. Sai and another guy from our team rushed him. Sai threw a jumping heel kick to the Hyuga's head, who easily blocked the attack. He then ducked under the slash that was aimed at the back of his head, spinning on his heels, he smashed a massive double palm strike into the guy with the sword's chest, breaking his rib cage and sending him flying through the air. Sai was locked in an exchange of blows with the Hyuga but was outclassed and put on the defensive. Ao was being tended to by the only other female who was still conscious. She seemed to know medical Ninjutsu and was tending to his eye and entire body as his chakra points had been shut down. Two of the others were busy setting the supplies on fire as ordered by Sai before the Ambush. That left me, Sai, and another guy whose name I didn't know versus the Hyuga.

"Air Palm!" shouted the Hyuga as he struck his palm into the air, creating a massive shockwave to strike me. I was sent smashing into a tree and was only unscathed thanks to my bone defense cushioning the blow against the tree. Sai and the other guy were fighting a losing battle, and the Hyuga quickly finished the other guy off with a quick 10-strike burst down his center line, taking him out. Sai was taking the time of his teammates' downfall to start weaving hand signs. It would seem that he still had one final trick up his sleeve. The Hyuga was too fast, though, and quickly went on the offensive. Sai lost his focus and was forced to try and dodge and block the incoming attacks. The supply wagons had been set ablaze now, and the two other members quickly jumped in to help save Sai. I too was ready for another shot at him and entered the battle rotation. Both of our teammates were struck down from the Hyuga's rotation attack, sending them smashing into the ground hard. Sai, having already seen the attack before, was able to dodge it at the last second. Sai was breathing heavily now, but so was the Hyuga, having used a lot of his chakra to fend so many of us off. I jumped, throwing a spin kick aimed at his head, which he blocked. As I landed with my back to him, I allowed the bones to shoot out from my back and try to take him off guard. It was a success, as one of my bone spikes had pierced his shoulder. Sai jumped over my head, ready to deliver the final blow, but the Hyuga bit through the pain and shot off one last Air Palm, landing a direct hit on Sai. I quickly shifted the bones to return into my body and hit a spinning kick to his ankle, knocking him to the ground. I didn't want to waste any time and went right for the killing blow, but to my surprise, he struck me with a surprised jab to my shoulder. My arm went limp, and he quickly smashed his foot into the side of my head, taking me off guard and sending me skidding across the ground. If not for my reinforced bones, that kick would have broken my tiny neck. I got up slowly, still not able to move my right arm. He was also standing now and breathing heavily. The veins that surrounded his eyes faded, and it appeared he could no longer hold his Byakugan. Suddenly, Ao appeared behind him and slashed down hard with his blade. The Hyuga was too slow to react without his Byakugan, and Ao landed a killing blow to his face, slashing his left eye. It was sweet justice, an eye for an eye. The Hyuga fell to the ground dead, and Ao stood over him as he flicked the blood off his blade.

"You okay, kid?" he asked after a short moment. If anything, my injuries were the least of our worries, and I was surprised at how fast he was able to recover. Our whole team was down, apart from our medic, myself, and Ao. The smoke from the burning supplies would surely draw attention soon, and we had to retreat quickly before reinforcements turned up. I walked over to Ao and looked down at the Hyuga.

"He was strong," I said, acknowledging his strength.

Ao agreed as he pulled off the Hyuga headband. "Well, well, it seems this one was from the main family." I looked at him, confused at first, until my memory clicked. He was right. There was no curse seal on this guy's forehead, meaning he was of the main family of the Hyuga. That means his Byakugan is ours for the taking. "What's the saying? An eye for an eye." He knelt and plucked the remaining eyeball from the dead man's skull and turned to our medical ninja.

"Hey, can you transplant this eye?" The girl seemed shocked at first, but then nodded.

"Why, yes, I can," she replied, a little shocked.

"Good. Then come and do it," he said harshly. "Check to see who is dead. If they are, then we must destroy their body. Can you manage that, kid?" he said, looking at me. It was standard procedure among ninja. We did it to prevent our enemies learning or stealing information from the remains of fallen comrades. I made a move quickly, assessing who was alive or dead while Ao was having his eye tended to by our medic. The Hyuga had been so precise in his strikes that he was able to hit vital organs and go for kill shots. Even though he was outnumbered, they were all dead, all apart from Sai. However, he didn't have much time left, as he had been impaled on a tree branch and was bleeding out. I ran over to see if I could help, but he just laughed at me. "Don't worry, kid, it's too late for me. Make sure you destroy my body and report the mission a success." I nodded and waited as he took his final breath before I removed his large body and dragged it over to the others. Once there, I set the bodies on fire, not staying to watch. The medic had finished implanting Ao's new Byakugan. I and I had made the connection to who he was at this point. I remembered he was with the Fifth Mizukage at the Five Kage Summit and played an important role in the future of this world.

"All right, then. This mission is a success. It's time to report back to camp," Ao said, turning to face us. Half of his face was covered in bandages from the medic. We both nodded and followed his lead back through the Land of Fire, heading back to base.

Chapter Ten

One year had gone by since my encounter with the Hyuga Clan member. Our mission had been a success, but with heavy losses. The higher-ups didn't care because we had been able to retrieve the Byakugan. This was a huge achievement and one that had not gone unnoticed by the Hidden Leaf Village. In the last year that had passed, I had fought in three more large-scale battles and completed a total of 38 missions: zero D rank, 15 C rank, 13 B rank, and 10 A rank. I had survived everything they had thrown at me and become a member of the elite tracking unit. This unit was the equivalent to the Leaf Anbu unit, and I was currently its youngest member, being 10 years old, making quite a name for myself. Rumors of the Third Mizukage's death had been just that. He had survived but suffered life-changing injuries. There were current votes on who the next Mizukage would be, but nothing had been put in place. The Third had become very private, and nobody saw him. He was like a true shadow. We were still at war, and neither village seemed willing to give up the fight anytime soon. Intel showed that the Hidden Stone was gathering a massive invasion force to march on the Land of Fire. The Hidden Grass still under their control. There were rumors that we were planning on using our secret weapon, but it was a need-to-know operation, and I had yet to be told anything more. The Mist had taken huge losses in the war effort so far, and more and more were lost after each battle. With my new rank, I had been allowed to return to see my mother, Katchina, in the Yuki Village. Many of its members had been lost in the war, and so few remain now. Not that I had a strong connection to them or anything, but it was very noticeable. If I remember correctly, not long after this war, there would be a smaller civil war in the Land of Water that would kill off a lot of clans and Kekkai Genkai users.

The next few weeks that went by were the most peaceful days I had spent in a long time. All of our forces had been told to return home and await further orders. Something seemed off, but no one was entirely sure what it was. I was currently staying in accommodation that was provided to all elite ninja in the center of the Hidden Mist. The only missions that had not been put on hold were the ones to track down rogue ninja. Of course, spies and information units were also still being sent out, but other than that, the village was on lockdown. Not long after, news came that the Yellow Flash of the Leaf, who I knew as the soon-to-be Fourth Hokage, had destroyed Kannabi Bridge and wiped out 1,000 Hidden Stone ninja. Turns out that Kannabi Bridge was key for the line of supply for the Hidden Stone's troops. Now that it had been destroyed and 1,000 men wiped out by a single man, there were rumors that the Hokage and such would sign a peace treaty. I was pretty sure that where we were in the current timeline that Kakashi had gotten his Sharingan and Obito was thought to be dead. Within the hour of hearing the news, my unit was summoned to the council room to be briefed on a top-secret mission. There were easily over 100 of us that had been called upon, and I had a bad feeling. The Mizukage himself was present behind his dark cover, sealing off any visibility of him. His personal guard were with him, as always. The room was silent as everyone wondered why we had been called. Everyone in the room was a Jonin level or Anbu, and everyone could tell that...

Something big was about to go down. The silence was broken when the Mizukage himself spoke.

"You may be wondering why I have summoned you all here. As I am sure you have heard, the Hidden Leaf and Hidden Stone are pursuing a peace agreement. This is the perfect time to strike the Leaf. We will use the full might of our arsenal and unleash the tailed beast upon them."

The room stayed silent. It also helped that everyone in here was a professional and knew not to give any reaction. We were trained as soldiers to carry out orders, not to question them.

The plan was laid out. We were to kidnap a girl from The Hidden Leaf Village. Our sealing team was then to seal the three-tails into her, allowing her to escape back to the Hidden Leaf where the beast would be unleashed and cause massive damage, striking at the very heart of the Hidden Leaf. We had little time to prepare, and we were heading out this very night.

It was all starting to fall into place. If I remembered correctly, Kakashi would kill this girl, I.E. Ren, and then Obito would kill everyone there. This was not looking good for me at all. My strength and skill had come a long way, but I didn't know if I was ready to fight Obito with his mangekyo sharingan just yet. I had to come up with a plan to survive.

I had made it through so much and survived all the odds. If not for my Kekkei Genkai, I would have died many times over. It truly was a gift I had been given in this new life. Along with my Shakuton Makaku abilities, I also possess the Ice Release that combined water and wind release to create my ice style. This had set me well above the curb already, having access to such powerful abilities. It almost seemed unfair. The combination of Jutsu I could now chain together was extremely powerful. Some had called me a prodigy, and others feared me for my abilities. Of course, my intelligence had been tested and was way above average, but what did I expect? After all, I did retain the knowledge of my old life and world. 25 years of knowledge and learning, along with the 10 years I had spent in this world so far. To them, I was 10 years of age, but mentally, I was 35.

Now that I was an ANBU member, I did not need to keep my abilities or smarts a secret. For in the Bloody Mist, the only way to gain respect was to have power. The key to my quick line of promotion through the ranks of the Blood Mist was thanks to the war. Due to the loss of so many warriors, the need for strong shinobi was increasing drastically. Along with my abilities and proven battle record, I was put to the test more than I would like to remember. Unlike the Leaf, the Blood Mist didn't think twice about using children as weapons. This had led the officials and higher-ups to recognize my abilities and have no choice but to promote me, allowing me to go on harder missions. It was unheard of that someone of my age could possess such skill, and I think it scared a lot of people.

The time for the mission had come. Before I knew it, I donned my ANBU uniform and placed my tracker mask over my face. I had been issued two swords that were on my back, not that I needed them. Our units had been split into four units of 25 in total, each unit having its own commander and responsibility. My unit's job was to kidnap the target and take her to the sealing location. It all seemed too easy. Everything had been planned out. Her location was pinned down, along with other information. It just seemed too easy, and I was pretty sure I knew why. I was sure this was all of Madara Uchiha's doing. The problem with spending so much time here was that your memory of events started to get a little hazy now and then.

My suspicions were escalated when we snagged the target without resistance. We quickly completed our mission of getting her to the sealing squad, who had already made the preparations to seal the three-tails within her. We were told to stand guard and not let anybody interfere with the sealing ritual. My unit was stationed just outside, while another was inside, and the last stationed around the border. Not many hours later, the sealing had been a success, and we were briefed of the plan to let her be rescued and give chase, only pretending to chase them as to ensure the delivery of the package to the Hidden Leaf.

Events turned out as expected. Kakashi showed up and rescued Ren. We gave chase through the forest. As we were inside the Land of Fire, this is where it could go very wrong. I knew for a fact what was going to happen next was not good at all. All squads had arrived in a clearing on a rocky terrain overlooking the ocean. It was also raining, which made the mood even worse.

I watched from behind my mask as Kakashi pierced straight through Ren with his lightning blade. Then she had chosen to kill herself, knowing what we had planned to do to unleash the three-tails upon the Hidden Leaf. Now was my chance. It had to be now, while everyone's attention was focused on Kakashi and Ren. Using one hand behind my back, I created an ice mirror that was linked to another high up in the air. Its reflection hidden by the full moon's radiant glow as I slipped into the ice mirror, leaving an ice clone as my replacement.

I heard the scream. It was Obito. Just as I knew he would. He had seen Kakashi kill Ren, and it sent him into a wild frenzy. My fellow Mist ninja had no idea what they were in for. One of them threw a handful of shuriken at him, clearly underestimating him, but they simply passed through his body and struck the tree behind him. Obito charged in like a madman. The power of his steps cracked the very ground beneath him. Striking his first victim with his palm, which suddenly burst out, turning the ANBU into a human porcupine from the inside out. Blood splattered all over, but Obito simply snapped his arm away and turned to his next prey.

Three Mist ninja jumped into the air, swords drawn, ready to impale Obito from above. But once again, their attacks passed right through him, and their swords pierced their comrade instead. Obito didn't waste any time and jumped into the air, landing a perfect spin kick, snapping each of their necks. The strength of his kick causing them to hit the ground so hard that they imprinted into it. The other Mist ninja were so shocked at what was happening that they were starting to panic.

"We need to at least retrieve the girl! We can't let the enemy get a hold of her corpse!" one of them shouted.

"He wields strange Jutsu," another one said in fear. Two of them made a break, heading for Ren's still body. Obito did the same and charged through the Mist ANBU in front of him. Their attacks simply passing right through him; not one of them being able to touch him. Obito launched a wood missile so hard at one of the Mist ninja that it took him off his feet and sent him crashing into the ground as wooden spikes skewered his body like a piece of meat. Obito charged into the other Mist ninja, who was too busy looking at the horror that had become his teammate. His fist smashed into his face so hard that his head hit the ground at sound-breaking levels, shattering the rock beneath. Obito then kicked him up and grabbed him by the hair, kneeing him in the face so hard that his mask shattered into pieces. Obito pounded on his face, strike after strike, the sound of flesh beating flesh until his blood soaked the ground. The other Mist ninja stood silent, too fearful to even flinch.

Obito slowly stood up and turned to face the remaining Mist ANBU. They were scared. Obito took one step, and suddenly, every one of them wanted to flee, but it was too late. Wood shot out of the side of his body so fast that an entire forest of trees swallowed and crushed every last one of them. They were helpless like lambs to the slaughter. Their screams filled the night sky, and their blood soaked the earth below.

My ice clone had also been caught in the carnage. However, using my defensive abilities, even the mighty power of the wooden grip was not enough to crush my body. I had seen enough now and decided it was time to release my clone and make my escape. While Obito was focused on Ren's body, using my crystallized mirrors Jutsu, I could create them anywhere that I could see, and then I could slip between them as if I was walking through a door. It was certainly not the first time I had used this Jutsu to make my escape from overwhelming odds, and I was sure it would not be the last.

My arrival back to the Village was met with extreme speculation. After all, I was the lone survivor of 100 ANBU and Jonin level ninja. I was pretty much interrogated as to what happened and how I made it back. Even the Mizukage was present, but covered in his portable transport so you could not see him, along with all members of the council. Not only had we suffered a huge loss in manpower, but we had thought to have lost one of our tailed beasts. I gave the best information I could about what had happened without going into too much detail. At least 3 hours had passed since we had started my interrogation. I had told them that a masked man had shown up and killed everyone. Our attacks passed right through him, and no one could touch him. I stated that I was lucky to make it out with my life. I had confirmed that the girl had been killed and that the plan had been a failure.

Soon, the Mizukage himself gave permission for the debrief to end and stated that I was free to return to my quarters. The other members objected, but the Mizukage said there was no need to press the matter anymore and that we should instead focus our efforts on locating the three-tails upon its revival. Once I got back to my quarters, I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. I had a bad feeling that the Mizukage could tell I wasn't letting on to everything I knew, but for some reason, he decided to drop the matter. It didn't make sense, but I was kind of glad for it. Seeing Obito in action made me realize just how much of a difference certain Jutsu and abilities made in this shinobi world. There were truly some monsters out there, and I honestly wondered how much longer I could survive.

A month had now passed since that night, and the war was coming to an end. The Hidden Stone had signed a peace treaty with the Hidden Leaf. This prompted all of the other nations to come to a ceasefire, bringing the war to a steady close. Smaller skirmishes were still taking place among some of the great nations. However, the Land of Water was starting to develop its own internal problems. There were questions that the Mizukage's leadership in the war was the cause of so much death among the ranks. The nobles and even the feudal lord were calling for the Mizukage to step down. It was chaos, and civil war was on the horizon. Troops and units were leaving the Hidden Mist and going to whoever paid them best. Assassination attempts were being made on the Mizukage and nobles alike.

I found myself in a difficult position. I had been raised in the Land of Water and was a fully-fledged Mist ninja. There was nowhere else I could go without becoming a rogue ninja, and I was sworn to serve the Mizukage as a hunter ninja. Small-scale skirmishes were being fought between lords and other powerful leaders in the Land of Water, and it was not looking good. The few remaining clans and Kekkei Genkai users left from the war were being hired and sought for their power. However, it did not bode well with the civilians of the Land of Water, as they became so feared for their abilities that anyone with a Kekkei Genkai was seen as a monster and killed. I and others who served the Mizukage were safe enough inside the village, but the same could not be said for those outside of its protection. Even my own clan had fallen, with so many of its warriors being killed or away on missions. Those who were left were defenseless. I was away on a mission when it happened, and there was nothing I could do. Even my mother in this world had been killed. The surviving members fled and spread around the Land of Water, keeping their abilities a secret, just like the anime had foretold.

Some clans proved too strong to be taken down by mercenaries or large hordes of villagers, one being the Kagé Clan. They thrived on bloodlust and battle, and after a handful of skirmishes, they were left to their own devices. Six months went by before something large enough to bring the civil war to an end happened. The Third Mizukage passed away, and the fighting was put on hold to see who would be elected as the new Mizukage. Only the most powerful shinobi were even considered to become the Mizukage, and at the moment, there was one that stood out among the rest: Yagura Karatachi. He was well known for his efforts in the war, demonstrating his superior abilities and strength. It was the fact that he had become the first user of the three-tails and learned to master its power in such a short amount of time that stood him above the rest. With his already impressive abilities and the power of the three-tails at his side, he quickly brought the civil war to a halt and rallied many to his side. He was crowned the Yondaime Mizukage, which meant the Fourth Water Shadow or Fourth Mizukage.

Yagura had no tolerance for any form of treachery against the village, and anyone who dared betray him was killed. This enforced the nickname that was given to our village as the Bloody Mist and seemed to boost our reputation. He ruled with an iron fist, doing what he thought best for the Hidden Mist and its people. He even ended the brutal academy tradition of having to compete in a bloody battle just to become a ninja. Instead, we adopted a more humane approach with a graduation exam consisting of no killing. Once the new genin had passed out of the academy, they were placed into teams under Chunin or Jonin, much like the Hidden Leaf. The aim was to rebuild our numbers rather than have them kill each other like in the past. Some argued that the quality of our military might would decrease, but most were glad to see the barbaric ritual ended. Yagura had forced all of the nobles and lords into submission with his strength and power. No one dared challenge him, and it seemed that a temporary peace filled the land. Yagura seemed like the kind of man you wanted to follow. He was powerful, smart, and he cared for his people. The first 6 months of his rule seemed to bring prosperity to the Land of Water and Hidden Mist, but that soon changed.

During the 6 months that had passed, I had been assigned to the elite Hunter Ninja Squad that fell directly below the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, who were second only to the Mizukage himself. Zabuza had also climbed the ranks and was placed in the same unit as me, earning the title of the Demon of the Hidden Mist. He too had survived everything that had been thrown at him, from large-scale conflicts in the war to suicide missions given to him. What made it more impressive was that unlike me, he possessed no Kekkei Genkai. There was one other that I recognized who was a part of our unit: it was Kisame Hoshigaki. He was about 5 years older than me, making him 16, and boy, was his strength impressive. Even without the famous Samehada, he was still a dangerous opponent. My memory of when or even how he would get Samehada was too hazy to remember and meant I could only wait for things to play out as they were going to.

The current members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were as follows: Fuguki Suikazan, who possessed Samehada; Jinpachi Munashi, who possessed Kabutowari (the helmet splitter); Kushimaru Kuriarare, who had Nuibari (the needle); Jinin Akebino, who is also known as the Thunder of the Hidden Mist, he possessed Raijū (the thunder beast); and Ameyuri Ringo, who I had met a few years ago while still in training. She possessed Kiba, also known as the Executioner's Blade, and Zabuza's future weapon. As for the last two members, I had no information on them and had never even seen them before.

Each of us in the unit was placed under direct orders from one of the Seven and given a small unit to whom we were in command of. My unit consisted of three Chunin, two of whom were girls, and two Genin. It was a little awkward at first due to my age. The others were all at least 15 and above, but they had heard the stories of my abilities, which had earned me the title of Devil of the Hidden Mist, a nickname in which I had no choice in choosing. I took orders from Ameyuri Ringo directly and found her to be a bloodthirsty killer like most of the other Swordsmen of the Bloody Mist. She wouldn't think twice about killing someone at random, but when she did, she always showed sorrow. It was completely crazy. The first time I and my unit accompanied her on a mission, she killed one of the Chunin just because she didn't like the way he smelt. I had to fight every fiber in my body not to object, but knew no good would come from it. After all, she ranked below only the Mizukage and would only result in a battle to the death. Still, she seemed to take a liking to me and my abilities, and one day had summoned me to a training field alone, which I felt very uneasy about.

Still, with all the missions I had been on, my personal development had been put on hold due to a lack of free time to train. I arrived at the training field as instructed, wearing my training gear and headband around my head. I was the first to arrive and walked over to the large stream that flowed through the particular grassy area. I picked up some of the water with my hands and looked at my reflection before taking a drink. My hair had grown in the last year, and I had even tied the right band in a ponytail, much like how I remember Kimimaro's hair to be like. After all, we were from the same bloodline, and the only difference was that my hair was black.

Suddenly, I felt a surge of electricity in the air and ducked, only to see a blade pass a few millimeters above my head. I sprang backwards onto my hands, pushing off them and flipping onto my feet, ready for what was to come next. It was Ameyuri Ringo, and she was stood with one sword over her shoulder and the other in her hand beside her leg.

"You did well to dodge that. You would be dead if you hadn't," she said, a grin on her face.

I bit my tongue and didn't reply. I was confident in the strength of my bones, but the Kiba swords used the lightning style to amp their cutting power, and they could cut through pretty much anything.

"You can relax, kid. If I wanted to kill you, you would be dead already," she said as she put away her Kiba blades.

I only half relaxed, as I was unsure whether or not she would attack again. Turns out, I was right to trust my instincts. Not a second after, she threw a kunai enhanced by lightning style chakra, and it was aimed right for my chest. It was coming too fast for me to dodge, and instead, I overloaded my chakra into my sternum and chest, swelling, creating a thick layer of armored bone. The kunai struck me hard in the chest, causing me to slide back along the soft ground but not fall over. The kunai blade had pierced my skin and only the first layer of bone that I had created to protect myself. If not for the lightning enhancement, the blade would have bounced right off of me.

Ringo whistled and seemed impressed. "Damn, kid, that's some impressive defense right there. You were able to stop a lightning-enhanced kunai from shredding right through you. Anyone else would be dead right now."

I didn't really understand where she was going with all of this, as after all, she was pretty much the first person to take such an interest in my abilities. Most others usually left me to my own devices or were too afraid to ask.

"I understand this ability of yours is of the Kaguya clan. I have to say, it's the first time I am seeing it in person."

I nodded and pulled the kunai out of my chest, throwing it to the ground. "So, why are we here?" I asked, speaking for the first time.

Ringo smiled and crossed her arms. "I like to test all of my direct subordinates this way, but I have to say, you are the first to survive this far." I wasn't even shocked to hear that. It was no hidden fact that the Seven Swordsmen pretty much did what they wanted. "Now, I want you to show me what you were made of, and if I like what I see, then who knows, maybe I will teach you a trick or two."

I nodded in agreement as I thought about the severity of what this match would have in store. It could easily result in one of us dying, and that would most likely be me. "To give you a fighting chance, I won't use my Kiba blades. How does that sound?" she said, jesting to the blades that were sheathed on her back.

I nodded in agreement and took a fighting stance. This was a rare opportunity to test my true strength against a most likely superior opponent, one that did not happen often in the Hidden Mist without resulting in one's death. Ringo pulled out two kunai, one in each hand, as she took a low stance, a sinister grin across her face, her large lips making it even more sinister. I took my fighting stance and extended my arms out to my side, palms open, facing my opponent. I allowed bones to protrude from my skin all around my body. I had come to allow two bones to protrude from my forehead like horns, which is where the nickname Devil of the Mist had come from.

Ringo made the first move and charged in, crossing her arms in an X shape over her face. She was fast and seemed to easily shift what direction she was traveling, making it hard to predict her movements. She started to run in a circle around me, and it was honestly starting to make me a little dizzy trying to keep track of her. Suddenly, she launched forward at me, pushing off her back leg and jumping in the air, spinning rapidly. Lightning-infused chakra became visible on her kunai, and it looked like a tornado of lightning was heading right for me. I jumped high into the air, avoiding the double slash attack she had aimed at me, and flipped upside down, firing my bone bullets out of my fingertips. As I did, Ringo was able to deflect them, and with the lightning enhancement around her chakra, they could take the impact where normally they would have broken. She was on me the instant I touched the ground, but I had already planned for this, blocking each of her kunai with my bone blades. She no longer had any protection, and I allowed my rib cage to grow, almost impaling her as it did. I pressed forward, not having much to worry about, realizing that my bones were more than strong enough to engage with her lightning kunai. We exchanged blows, but I was starting to gain the advantage in this Taijutsu match. I had learned to incorporate a lot of acrobatic movements into my frightening style, along with my enhanced strength and chakra control. These movements were no strain to perform at all. The reason I had incorporated these movements into my fighting style was so that I could take advantage of my entire body being a weapon. Combining it with my Kekkei Genkai, my agility, and unlimited ways I could use my body as a weapon was extremely overwhelming to most. It was very similar to Killer Bee's fighting style with his eight blades. However, I could use almost an unlimited amount of blades from anywhere on my body. I forced Ringo on the defensive, and pretty soon, I could tell she was starting to grow frustrated. She jumped backwards and started weaving hand signs, landing on the stream of water as she did. Suddenly, a huge water dragon fired from the large stream and was headed right for me like a missile. The water dragon Jutsu was a very powerful water style, and only very skilled shinobi could use it. Little did Ringo know, my abilities gave me a huge control over the water element, and she was about to find out why. Quickly weaving my own hand signs, I created a huge ice mirror in front of me that absorbed the water dragon Jutsu. Ringo was extremely surprised, but not as surprised when his own water dragon hit him in the back, knocking him off of his feet and sending him crashing into the ground hard. When I had first learned to use the crystal ice mirrors technique, I had to travel from mirror to mirror. It allowed me to travel so fast between them that it seemed like I was teleporting, but with time, I had discovered that I could link them, allowing me to connect them like doors. This increased the speed I could use them and also the effectiveness, and with a bit of fine-tuning of the crystal ice mirrors Jutsu, I could allow other objects to travel through the mirrors other than myself. Creating a second mirror behind Ringo, I was able to send his water dragon through one mirror and out of the other, using his attack against him. He slowly got back up to his feet, and the fact he was drenched made the feat even harder. That attack was like the Mizukage's, but he stopped and un-sheathed both of his Kiba blades from his back. "I guess I underestimated you, kid. You're not normal," she said and raged as she raised both of the swords into the air, crossing the blades together. Blue sparks of electricity began to form, and the air around him was charged with energy. "Lightning Ball!" she shouted as she fired a large ball made of crackling electricity. I jumped out of the way and was able to avoid the attack, but suddenly more of the same was fired at me in rapid succession. As fast as I was, I was still unable to avoid all of the attacks, and one of them struck me in the back. I could feel the electricity surge through my body. It was so painful it felt like I was about to pass out. Turns out, I had no way of countering lightning style at the moment, as I had been lucky enough to never really encounter someone who used it in battle. I dropped to the floor and was left gasping for air. Ringo walked over and pointed her blade at me. "It's over, kid," she said as she sheathed her swords.

I got back up to my feet slowly, but my legs were still a little numb, and I fell back onto my behind. Ringo laughed at me and crossed her arms over her chest. "You know, kid, you came pretty close. I had to pull out all the stops to beat you, and that's saying something. It's not every day that one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist compliments you, so you better accept it."

I was finally able to stand once the feeling in my legs returned, and I took her hand as she helped me up. "Now, here's a little reward for not dying against me," Ringo said as she handed me a piece of paper. It was a piece of chakra paper, like the one we had been given in the academy to see what element affinity we could use. Of course, mine had been water and wind, thanks to my Kekkei Genkai. I gave her a questioning look, and she laughed. "Now, here's a little tip: when you focus your chakra into the paper, try and imagine the surge of electricity you felt from that attack in your hand."

I put the pieces together and realized she was trying to test to see if I could use lightning style. I did as she said and focused my chakra into the paper, trying to remember the surge of electricity as I did. To my surprise, the paper wrinkled in my hand, and Ringo gave me a large slap on the back. "Well, looks like you have an affinity for lightning style after all, kid. I was pretty impressed, to be honest." The possibilities of its implications into my already existing arsenal were flooding my mind.

"Will you teach me to use it?" I asked.

Ringo gave a small grin but then shook her head. "Afraid not, kid. You're going to have to figure this one out by yourself if you wish to get stronger. Then that is your current mission. I will give you one tip, though: when using a lightning style, you have to have intense focus and then will your chakra to mold into lightning." With that said, she turned her back and walked off into the ever-present mist of the Bloody Mist Village, leading me to my own devices. I looked at the palm of my hand and focused an intense amount of chakra into it, doing as he had said. "I will it to turn into lightning." Just like with the paper, a small crackle of electricity sparked around my hand and then quickly faded as fast as it had come. I could certainly say that the next few weeks to come would be exciting to say the least, now that I had something new to focus on and become stronger. All I had to do next was figure out what to use my power for in this shinobi world.

Chapter 11

Two whole months had gone by since my so-called training with Ringo. Learning to channel my chakra into lightning was proving a little challenging. So far, I had been able to encase kunai and shuriken in lightning style chakra, but that was it. I had tried to combine my Shakuton Makaku abilities with the lightning style, but to no avail. I just couldn't get the concentration of chakra right, and depending on the density of the bone, the levels of chakra required became different. It was a tricky Jutsu to figure out for sure. Plus, with the number of missions I had been on lately, I had not had much time to practice. I was still working directly under Ringo, and since our training session, I had managed to stop her from killing any more of my team. That's why it came as a surprise when I was summoned by the Mizukage himself for a mission. Of course, it was not unheard of, but unlike the Hidden Leaf's Hokage, the Mizukage did not waste his time overseeing all missions handed out.

I arrived at the Mizukage's office like all those years ago when I had first been brought to the Hidden Mist by the Yuki Clan. I was pretty sure the two men who had brought me had also died in the war, along with most of the others. Even my grandfather had been killed, and with his death, the Yuki Clan had been left weak and eventually wiped out. I knew they weren't all dead because I was still alive, and I was pretty sure Zabuza would still find Haku.

I knocked before entering the large room, and once inside, I bowed as was the custom here in the Bloody Mist. The Mizukage, Yagura, was sitting in his chair and permitted me to stand. "Fuyuki, correct?" he said, behind a cold gaze. I nodded. "Yes, Lord Mizukage, reporting for duty." Yagura stood out of his chair and walked over to his large window, one that had not been there during the rule of the Third Mizukage. "Ringo speaks quite highly of you," he said, leaving a small pause in the air before speaking again. "I don't believe our paths have ever crossed yet, your record speaks for itself." He turned to face me and was now standing over me. "I believe your abilities are best suited for this mission." The sudden intense aura he was giving off was gone, and he sat back into his seat, pulling out a picture of a man. "Do you know who that is?" he asked. I studied the picture and quickly recognized the man. He was Kinjo Masakazu, one of the high-ranking nobles of the Land of Water and considered a very powerful man. When selected for the hunter ninja, you were required to know who people like this were, among other things. "Yes, his name is Kinjo Masakazu," I said, looking back at the Mizukage. He nodded. "I shouldn't have expected any less from you," he said with a small grin. "I have received word from our spies in the few of Lord's ranks that he is planning a rebellion against me in a plot to overthrow the Mizukage with the help of the other nobles. Your mission is to assassinate him before they meet and end his traitorous life."

I was honestly pretty shocked. This was not someone that you wanted to mess with, as he held a lot of power and influence in the Land of Water. "I would do it myself, but tensions are already high between myself and the feudal lord. No one can know that the Hidden Mist is behind this. This is a covert S-rank mission." Again, he let the words sink in before speaking again. S-rank missions were considered the most secret, and only the most capable ninja were ever given them. "I have gone over countless other potential candidates for this mission, and after seeing your exploits so far, believe you were best suited to this task." I was pretty sure I didn't have a choice in the matter now. After all, the mission had just been explained to me, and if I declined, I was pretty sure my body would never be found again. I had no choice. I had to accept this mission if I wanted to keep on living. Also, I was pretty sure I didn't stand a chance against the Mizukage just yet. Deciding to play this smart, I bowed my head. "It would be an honor to carry out this mission, Lord Mizukage." He nodded in approval and handed me an envelope full of details for the mission. I accepted it and quickly glanced over it. "Forgive me, Lord Mizukage, but it states here that I am to assemble my own squad for this mission. Is that correct?" The Mizukage nodded. "That is correct, but remember, no one is to know that we are involved. As far as the village is concerned, if you were caught, you are all rogue ninja acting alone. There can be no witnesses." I nodded and took my leave.

Once outside, I sat on a bench that overlooked a small playground that kids like to use to play all sorts of games. Times had certainly changed from that of the war. Now the academy had an entrance exam rather than just accepting all able-bodied children. I studied the documents and realized this mission could easily result in my death or even exile from the village. I would have to play this very safe. After all, the life of a rogue ninja was not an easy one. The information stated that Kinjo Masakazu was currently held up in his large manor house in the south of the Land of Water, where he owned a very large estate. It also stated that he had gathered quite a large force and was believed to even have rogue ninja acting as mercenaries off the books. No information was given on their numbers or strength, and it left a lot of guessing work to take place. A man of his stature was certainly capable of paying large amounts of money to hire the best, meaning he could easily have A or S-rank criminal shinobi working for him. All that was left was to assemble a team, but that was also not going to be easy. It clearly stated here that I could not use any other ANBU ranking or above ninja. The team was also limited to a number of four, including myself, which only left room for three potential hires. It also meant if I chose wrong and they didn't want to do it, I would have to kill them as a precaution, which only gave me one choice. The time limit on the mission was 2 weeks, as that was when the next meeting of all of the lords in the Land of Water was taking place, and it was believed Kinjo Masakazu intended to rally as many of them to his side as possible.

Leaving the bench I was sat on and decided it was time to do some recruiting. And the first person on my list was a man named Toyota Kenzo. He was also one of my subordinates under Ringo and was currently of Genin level. He was currently 20 years of age, and it proved to be very level-headed, obeying orders without question. He was about 5 feet 10 inches and had black hair that he kept slick back. Since I was his commander, he pretty much had no choice but to accept. I arrived at his address, a large apartment complex, and one of the nicer buildings in the Hidden Mist. I knocked on his door, taking my hunter mask off as I did so he could see my face. He didn't take long to answer and was surprised to see me standing there. At my current age, I was still quite short, only standing at 4 feet and 9 inches.

"See, Captain Yuki," he said, surprised. I gave a small nod and a smile. "Hey, Toyota, mind if I come in?" He took a moment but then invited me into his apartment before shutting the door. His surprise was understandable, as it was his day off, and team captains in the Hidden Mist hardly ever visited their squad members.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Captain Yuki?" he said, just as a chair for me to sit down. I took his offer and sat down, placing my arms on the table. I still found it funny how adults called me Captain and took orders from me.

"I'm going to be frank with you, Toyota. I'm here because I need you for a top-secret mission." Letting the seriousness of my words sink in, Toyota took a moment but then nodded without asking a single question. "I want you to know, I cannot tell you of this mission before you choose to accept it, and once you accept it, you cannot back out again." Toyota took a moment before answering but then ran his hand through his hair, giving me his answer. "I'm pretty sure if you're already here, then I don't have a choice, so let's hear it," he said behind a smile of razor-sharp teeth. Like all Blood Mist ninja, I nodded and proceeded to tell him the details of the mission over some tea that he had made. Once I had finished giving him all of the details, I waited for his response. He whistled and then took a sip of his tea before answering. "So, Lord Mizukage said that, then I guess I don't have a choice. When do we move out?" he asked.

"I still need to recruit two others. Once I have completed that task, I will send word. Until then, gather your equipment and wait for my call." Toyota nodded, and I stood to take my leave. "Thanks for the tea," I said as I let myself out and shut the door. That went a lot smoother than I had expected it to, but again, here in the Mist, ninja were trained to obey orders without question from their superiors. That made things a lot easier.

The next person on my list was also another member of my squad. Her name was Sono Konami, and she was one of the two Chunin in my squad. She was currently aged 17, and the only reason I had considered her was for her ability to use medical Ninjutsu, which was rare in the Hidden Mist. She was pretty and had long blonde hair that she tied back, leading two long bangs to fall over her headband. She currently lived with her father, who was also a ninja, which meant I couldn't just show up on her doorstep as I had with Toyota. Instead, I would have to take a more formal approach and decided to summon her as an order. She showed her personalism by arriving at the coordinates early. I had asked her to meet me on the edge of the village by a large tree next to a small tea shop that sold sweets as well. Due to its being on the outskirts of the village, it was never usually that busy, and I had decided it would be a safe meeting location. Also, the sweets were a hidden gem, and I had a pretty bad sugar tooth.

I gave her a small nod as I walked over to greet her, and she bowed, taking a knee as she spoke. "You summoned me, Captain Yuki." It wasn't even a question, more of an acceptance. I had forgotten that her being just a Chunin and me being an ANBU Squad Captain under the Seven Swordsmen was quite a substantial difference in rank.

"You can relax, Sono," I said, giving her permission to stand. Even she was taller than me, and it almost made me giggle.

"Is everything all right, Captain Yuki?" she asked. I nodded and pointed to the tea shop. "Yes, would you mind joining me?" I asked. She turned to the tea shop a little confused but quickly replied, "Of course not, sir." We walked in and took a table in the back. It was the middle of the afternoon now, and the shop was empty except for the sweet old lady who owned it.

"Would you like some tea or sweets? It's on me," I said, passing her a menu. Again, she appeared surprised, and again I told her to relax. Once our tea had arrived, I decided it was as good a time as any to tell her.

"Sono, you may be wondering the reason I have summoned you. Well, I have considered you to join my team for a top-secret mission. However, I cannot tell you of the mission before you accept, and once you accept, you cannot back out. Know that the chance of survival of this mission is low, and I understand if you do not wish to accept."

"The Ice Devil of the Hidden Mist has considered me to be a member of his team for a top-secret mission," she said quietly. I wished that people would stop calling me the Ice Devil of the Hidden Mist, but nicknames tended to stick like gum to the bottom of your shoe. I had forgotten just how much of a name I had made for myself here. To some, I was considered a freak of nature, but to others, I was a prodigy and potential threat. Still, my skills had not gone unnoticed, which proved evident by the Mizukage when he had chosen me for this mission.

"I accept," she said, gripping her teacup with both hands. I gave it a second as I looked into her eyes and then nodded. "Very well, then." I proceeded to give her the details of the mission and also told her why I had chosen her to be a member of the squad. Here in the Hidden Mist, medical ninja were rare, and they didn't provide them on any way near as many teams that the Hidden Leaf did. I had seen her abilities firsthand on other missions and was confident we would need her abilities in the coming task. She was also very good with poison, and I was sure I could use that to my advantage. Once I had filled her in on the info, I gave her a second to let it sink in. Even though she seemed nicer than most Blood Mist ninja, she was still a killer and brainwashed like the rest by the training of the academy.

"I will not fail you or Lord Mizukage, Captain Yuki," she said with fierce determination in her eyes. I nodded and told her the same thing as Toyota: to wait for my summons and prepare her equipment.

Now all that remained was to recruit the last member of my squad. I wished I could recruit Zabuza for this mission, as he would have been perfect, but he was an ANBU captain and is already stated by the Mizukage off-limits. That only left me with a choice of the last three on my squad. After careful consideration, I decided to choose the final Genin in my squad. He was currently age 15 and a bit of a loudmouth. He seemed to lack stealth in favor of combat, favoring Kinjutsu, which he was quite skilled at. His superior fighting abilities over the other two I had an option to choose made him a clear choice. In the very least, if it came to a full-scale battle, he would be useful. His name was Suji Kunimatsu, and for his age, he was very tall, standing at 6 feet. His eyes were as black as his short, spiky hair, but with his slender body yet to fill out, you could tell he was still young. I had once fought with him in a battle during the war, not long ago, before we meet again him becoming one of my subordinates. Both of his

Parents had been killed in the war, and he lived by himself. So, I decided paying a visit to his home would be easier than summoning him. Taking a stroll through the village on route to my destination, I noticed just how much the village had changed in the years I had been here. More people filled the streets, feeling it was safer to go about their business. Children played with one another, and the general atmosphere seemed better. Still, there were those areas that kids were not safe to play, and where it was generally less safe for civilians. Of course, that is where Suji Kunam Mata lived. This area of the village reminded me of a bad council estate from my old world, but more dangerous.

I knocked on the door to his small house and waited for him to answer. After some time, I decided to knock again, a little louder. "I heard you the first time, you impatient [ __ ]! Just who the hell do you think he shouted as he slammed the door open. His sentence suddenly stopping when he saw me. "Oh, what the hell do you want?" he said with no regard to my rank. If anything, it almost made me laugh. I decided to give him a serious look, and he quickly backed off. "Whatever. Come and then, doesn't look like I have a choice anyway," he said, walking in, leading the door open for me.

I entered the house and shut the door behind me. He was waiting for me in his living room, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "So, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Captain? Unlike the others, he did not like the fact that he had to follow my orders given our age difference. His house was a mess with food, pots, and unwashed clothes littered all over the place. I was beginning to question my choice, but it wasn't like I had much of one. I decided not to sit down and that being assertive with this one was a better approach. "We have a mission, Suji, and I have chosen you to be part of my squad," I said in his turn of voice an 11-year-old could muster. "Will I get to kill someone?" he said, not even asking about the mission. I nodded. "I have to warn you, if you choose to accept, there is no backing out." Suji sprang off of the wall, his fist aiming right at my face. I blocked his attack with the cm of my hand, the force of it making a large slapping sound. I looked into his eyes, unfazed, and waited to see what he would do next. He laughed and pulled away, turning his back. "Count me in," he said, grabbing his large sword off of his wall, giving it a good swing. It was like a mini executioner blade and looked pretty heavy. Still, he was able to effortlessly swing it around and with great skill. I filled him in on all of the information, which he seemed excited about. I then told him the same as the others, that I would contact him soon and to be ready.

Once I arrived back at my own apartment, it was a little past 5. I had spent the entire day briefing and recruiting the members of my team for this top-secret S-rank mission. I was honestly exhausted but could not afford to rest. I placed the documents out on my kitchen table as I went over them again, committing them to memory before burning them in my sink. There could be no evidence of this mission, and I was pretty sure it had not even been sanctioned by the village and that it was coming directly from the Mizukage himself. Even our gear and equipment would not be allowed to tie us to the Hidden Mist, meaning that we would have to buy new equipment from various locations from vendors who sold equipment from other lands. I had never planned an assassination mission before and had never realized just how much work had to go into the planning of it. Feeling a little stressed, I decided to sit on my bed and meditate for a little while, allowing me to reflect on my choices in this world so far. Still, the question beckoned: what did I wish to accomplish here in this second chance at life? Did I want to make this world a better place? Was that even possible with the chain of events that would happen in the not-too-far future? After all, I couldn't even save my own mother in this world. Even with my power and abilities, I was helpless to save her. As far as I was aware, my presence in this world had yet to change anything so far. Everything I had done was just to stay alive and make my own way in this world of death. In the anime, the main characters always had a goal or vision in mind. They always became a hero and achieved their goals, but now that I was living in a world like that, I had to ask if that was possible. I had seen so much death in my 11 years here, and I had even killed people, too many to count. For now, I thought it best to set my sight on a day at a time. The mission came first. If I could not even complete this mission, then I would never be strong enough to help change this world.

The next day came swiftly, and I decided it was time to summon the team. Just as ordered, they all arrived in civilian clothing, no headband, no Hidden Mist uniform, and no weapons that would link us to the village. Well, except for Suji's sword, of course, but he had refused not to bring it. Now, we just looked like a scary bunch of misfits or bandits. The others greeted me with respect, well, all apart from Suji, of course. And the time had come to set out. I took a final look at my team. Toyota Kinzo, he was a calm and level-headed shinobi, willing to carry out orders without question. He was skilled in Taijutsu and specialized in Ninjutsu. Next was Sonok Konami. Despite her sweet and innocent looks, she was a skilled medic and noted for her proficiency in the use of poisons. She was also skilled in the use of projectile weapons and would be a great support unit. And last was Suji Kunimatsu. He is a Taijutsu specialist and favors Kinjutsu. He is a loudmouth and impulsive, but his strength and combat abilities make up for that. "All right, time to move out!" I shouted as we started our journey out of the Bloody Mist Village and into the wilderness.

Chapter 12: Ice Devil of the Bloody Mist

Our first objective had been to purchase equipment that would not link us to the Hidden Mist. We had traveled to various vendors around the Land of Water. As we ventured further south, we wore a camouflage short-sleeve top with a dark-colored shirt over the top, camouflage pants, dark-colored knee-length sandals, and a ragged black cape like a poncho. We donned face masks that pulled up over our mouths and noses to help conceal our appearance, and obviously, no headband. I kind of looked like Gozu, who would one day become one of the demon brothers of the Mist who fled the village with Sauza. I was pretty sure I had met them once before, but I couldn't really remember. We did look like a band of mercenaries for hire, and that fit perfectly. This way, we would not draw any attention back to the Mizukage. Don't get me wrong, I had thought about leading the village many times already, but each time I did, I had to weigh up the consequences. I would be hunted down unless I was part of a powerful organization and have a price put on my head. No other village would take on another's former ANBU member unless it was to interrogate them and then dispose of you after. I was kind of stuck in the village hidden in the Mist, but if I left now, I would never be able to try and change it. So, really, I had no choice but to stay and see things out, well, at least for now, anyway.

We had been walking for days, trying our best to blend in so as not to draw unwanted attention. Ninjas tended to stick out in their uniform, but dressed like this, the most we got was a couple of second looks. No one dared take a third glance, as Suji hated being stared at and it almost killed more than one person for looking at him too much already. We were quickly approaching the town that Kjo Masakazu's estate resided in. It was a small but wealthy town, as it was located on the island most southwest in the Land of Water and was the largest seafood exporting village in the south of the Land of Water. Once we arrived in town, I decided it would be good to ask around about the Lord and see what people's thoughts of him were. I ordered the team to split up into two, sending Suji with Sono. At least her friendly looks would counter Suji's temper. I paired with Toyota, and the first stop on my list was a tea shop that served sweets.

We entered a small tea shop and took a seat. It was quite busy, and people here seemed cheerful and full of conversation. A young girl came over to take our order and blushed when Toyota looked at her. He was quite good-looking, to be honest, and the ladies seemed to love him. As the girl came back with our order, I decided to ask about Kjo Masakazu. She looked surprised and then blushed again as she looked at Toyota. "Lord Kjo is a very kind man. Everyone in the village thinks very highly of him, and he treats us well," she said. She was quickly rushed away as more customers arrived, and she ran off to take their order. I turned to look at Toyota, but he simply sipped his tea. I wasn't sure if he was playing it cool or if he was just really this laidback. I thought it best not to press the matter and decided not to ask any more questions about Kjo Masakazu and simply eat my sweet bun. Hopefully, the others would have a little more information when we meet up later.

After we had finished our tea, we left, making sure not to draw any attention. Luckily for us, the town was used to people passing through thanks to the harbor and shipping lanes. We walked around the corner and into an alley where we had arranged to meet the others. "Seems we're early," Toyota said, leaning against the wall. I nodded and decided I would take a little time to explore. "Wait here, Toyota. I won't be long," I said as I pulled my cape off and handed it to him. He didn't show any surprise, as I guessed he wouldn't. I dashed across the rooftops, making sure not to be seen by the villagers, and decided a walk around would be good. I looked like a normal 11-year-old kid to them, after all. Walking through the market stalls and stands, people were buying and selling goods of all sorts. Families were walking together, smiling, and no one seemed to have a care in the world. It was very different from the Hidden Mist Village, and I had a feeling that there was something more going on than I knew.

As I walked around the corner, there was a large group of kids playing some sort of game. It reminded me of football, but they were balanced on wooden posts that were sticking out of the ground. Five people on each team, and from what I could see, you either gained a point by hitting the ball into the opponent's net or lost a point if you dropped the ball onto the ground. It looked pretty hard, to be honest, and I decided to stick around and watch for a little while. Suddenly, one of the kids fell off one of the posts and hurt his foot pretty badly. All the others stopped to check on him, but then started to complain. "Now their numbers are uneven." "Hey, you!" one of the kids shouted. I looked around quickly before realizing he was talking to me and was about to walk off when he grabbed me on the shoulder. "How old are you, kid? Can you play?" the boy asked. He looked around 13 years of age, and he didn't give me a chance to answer. "Hey, this kid is going to play for us!" he shouted over to the others, who started cheering. He turned back to me. "What's your name, kid?" I was so shocked that I didn't speak at first, and he slapped me on the back. "Hey, don't be nervous. It's easy as long as you don't fall off. What did you say your name was again?" "My name is Foo," I said. It was such a surprise. I had forgotten what it was like to be spoken to without fear or respect. It was like I was just a normal kid about to play a game with some other kids. Before I knew it, I was stood on one of the posts with the others, wondering how this had even happened.

"Right through the aim is to kick the ball into that net over there. You can't use your hands to touch the ball, and if you let it drop to the floor, we lose a point. Make sense?" I nodded, still with a blank look on my face, as I turned to face the enemy team. "Let's have it!" one of the other kids shouted. He was quite large for his age, as in fat, but that didn't seem to stop his agility as he kicked the ball hard, sending it flying right for me. It was like the ball was moving in slow motion, and I was still trying to think about how I should approach this situation. "Foo, get it!" the other boy on my team shouted, and suddenly my reflexes kicked in. I volleyed the ball with a powerful kick, sending it smashing right into the other team's net. My team were gobsmacked but suddenly cheered and started going crazy. It was pretty nice, and before I knew it, I had become invested in this little game. I don't know how much time had passed, but both our teams were even now at 10 all. "All right, you sorry bunch, how about next point wins it all?" the captain of my team shouted. The fat lad who appeared to captain the other team agreed, and a sudden fire lit in everyone's eyes. "Come on, boys, we can win this!" our captain shouted, the others cheering as their morale was raising. The enemy team served, and the ball was quickly passed around our team with great skill. I caught it on my left foot and then shot it up into the air with my right as the captain jumped into the air and volleyed it as hard as he could. The other team's captain stopped it with his belly and passed it to one of his teammates who bounced it off his shoulder to another who shot it back to our side of the field. The aim of the game wasn't just to score a point but to make the other team lose them as well, sometimes by passing the ball at a poor angle to one of the opposing team, it would cause them to drop it and lose a point. Luckily, our teammate was able to drop down, still holding on to the post, and kicked the ball high into the air. One of our other players hit it back over to the other side, and the exchange continued for some time. "It's time to end this," the fat boy shouted as his team set him up with a great power strike. He hit the ball so hard that no one had time to stop it, and it seemed as if all our efforts were in vain. Suddenly, the captain dived off his post, and the ball struck him in the chest, sailing high into the air. The boy hit the ground hard, and everyone's attention fell to him. "Shoot the ball, Foo!" he managed to shout through gasps, as he had had the wind knocked out of him from the fall. Turning my attention to the ball, it was falling towards the opposing team, and I had no choice but to jump. Chasing chakra to my feet, I pushed off the wooden post and sailed into the air. Everyone was amazed by what I had done, and time seemed to slow down for everyone. "Take this!" I shouted as I smashed the ball with my foot as hard as I could. It shot through the air like a bullet and smashed right through the net, ripping a hole in it. My entire team erupted in cheers, and they all gathered around me, picking me up and throwing me into the air as they shouted my name. The other team were too gobsmacked to even protest, and I was pretty sure they had no idea what had happened.

"That was one hell of a kick, Foo." The captain of the team said as the others put me down, still huddled around me. "My name is K.G., and feel free to play for us anytime." I nodded and shook his hand before they all started clearing off to go home. It was pretty late now, and I had lost track of time. Suddenly, Toyota appeared next to me but didn't say anything. "I thought you might come looking for me," I said, turning to face him. He nodded. "Yes, Captain. We have a slight problem." I sighed. "What is it?" "Well, sir, it's Suji. He has..." "Well, you better come and take a look." I donned my cape over my head and nodded. It would seem that reality once again beckoned, but if only, at least once, I had experienced what the joy of childhood this world could bring. Both Toyota and I quickly vanished as if we were never there to begin with.

Toyota led me back to a small house, which already had me asking questions. However, I decided to wait and see what was in store for me before I asked any. Toyota pushed the door open and extended his hand. "In here, Captain." I walked in first, and to my surprise, there were three men tied up and gagged in the center of the room. Suji was leaning against the wall and quickly jumped up when he noticed me enter. Sono was also present and had a sheepish look about her. "It's about time you got back. While you were goofing off, we were busy gathering intel," Suji said, almost barking at me. Sono quickly stepped in. "How dare you talk to Captain Yuki like that?" she shouted at Suji. "Sometimes I wonder who the child is here."

"All right, you two, that's enough," I said, stopping their bickering. "What the hell is this?" I asked, pointing at the three men tied up on the floor. They were all giving me funny looks, as if wondering why a kid was ordering these scary adults around. "That's easy. They are the intel brokers of this town. This one is an underground slave trader," Suji said, pointing to the man on the left. "This one is the town's black market info broker," he said, pointing to the middle guy. "And this one owns the largest gambling den in town," he said, finally pointing to the last man, who was on the right. I slapped my hand against my head. "And you thought it was a good idea to kidnap them? Like no one wouldn't notice them missing?" I said, actually a little angry at his careless judgment. Sono was about to say something but noticed my anger and stayed quiet. "Well, you told me to get some info, and I decided to take action," Suji said, crossing his arms over his chest. I was starting to get angry over his carelessness, and before I knew it, the room started to grow cold as my chakra flared to life. It grew so cold that everyone's breath suddenly became visible, and Sono even took a step backwards. "Suji," I said, letting his name hang in the almost freezing air that had now spread all around the room. "If you ever disobey an order I give you or do anything this stupid without my permission again, I will kill you." He looked like he wanted to speak out but decided to take the hint and backed off. I let my chakra settle, and the warmth returned to the room, and the fearful expression on the three men faded just a little. I turned to Toyota. "Interrogate them and cast a Ninjutsu on them, making them forget this ever happened." He nodded and walked over to the slave trader first. I turned to Sono next. "Whose house is this, and how long can we stay?" She quickly snapped out of her daze and replied, "Why, yes, Captain. This house is abandoned and currently up for sale. No one is due to visit for at least 3 days." "Good. I need you to do something for me," I said as I let out a sigh. She nodded. "Of course, sir. What is it?" I put my hands on my hips and gave a small smile. "Can you go and get some tea from the tea shop and a takeaway cup for me?" She looked taken aback but not at all, almost instantly. "Why, yes, Captain. Right away," she said as she quickly exited the house. I needed some to help calm down. Lastly, I turned to Suji. "You help Toyota with the interrogation and don't do anything stupid." He didn't look happy, but he joined Toyota nevertheless.

Toyota took a quick look at Suji and smiled. "If I was you, I would do as he says. He may look like just a kid, but he's strong enough to hold his own against a seven. There's a reason he's the Captain, you know." Suji didn't reply for a moment. "What makes him so special?" he muttered under his breath. Toyota turned to see that I wasn't within hearing range before speaking and turned back to Suji. "I take it you know why they call him the Ice Devil of the Mist?" Suji raised an eyebrow but pretended not to care. "You have heard the story, right? Whatever, he's a prodigy, right?" Suji said, annoyed. Toyota laughed a little. "You could say that, but I know the real reason I was there that day, the day he was given the nickname Ice Devil of the Bloody Mist." Suji had to admit he was a little intrigued but tried not to seem so. "I don't think I have ever heard the full story." Toyota turned around again, making sure I was out of hearing distance, before continuing. "It was back during the war. I was still a Chunin back then and was stuck in a huge battle between the Hidden Leaf, Hidden Sand, and Hidden Stone. We were on our last legs with all sides taking massive casualties, our troops suffering the most. It seemed hopeless, and I thought I was going to die that very day." Not only Suji but even the three men were intrigued by the story so far, and so Toyota continued. "The Leaf had fallen back, but the Sand and Stone had decided to join together to wipe out our remaining forces. We were outnumbered 100 to 1, and our morale was low. Even our commander had given up hope. That's when he stepped up. He was so small, just another poor child who had been forced onto the front lines by our village, or so we all thought. The air grew cold, cold enough that even the ground started to freeze around us. That's when he made his move. He charged head-on, white bones shooting from his entire body as he flew through the enemy troop like a whirlwind of death. Anyone that tried to stop him was either impaled or frozen on the spot. As long as I live, I will never forget the image implanted in my mind from that day: a devil with white horns on his head whose very feet froze the ground beneath him, covered in the blood of our enemies." Suji was silent and waited for Toyota to continue. "He saved my life that day and the lives of 25 men and women single-handedly. He took down a combined force of 250 enemy shinobi without so much as a scratch. I later found out that he was 9 years old and a Chunin like myself. Not long after that, he became a Jonin and by the age of 11, an ANBU Captain. Have you ever heard of anyone becoming a Captain of Hunter Ninja under one of the Seven at such a young age?" "Me neither."

I walked back into the room, and Toyota suddenly went silent. "Okay, are we ready to start?" I said, pretending not to notice. Toyota nodded. "Yes, Captain. The preparations are ready." I nodded and looked at Suji. To my surprise, he nodded also. "Yes, Captain," he said quietly. I was honestly surprised but gave a small smile as I rolled my sleeves up, approaching the three men who looked terrified for some reason. "Now, I want you to tell me everything about Kjo Masakazu."

A little while later, the interrogation had gone a lot smoother than I had thought. As for some reason, the three men had coughed up everything they knew without any need for force. Not that I was bothered, as it made my life easier. Sono had arrived back with tea for all of us just as Toyota was casting a Ninjutsu on the three men. I had only a small experience with Ninjutsu. I had been taught how to break free from one and could cast a very simple one myself, but other than that, it was not my strong suit. Once the Ninjutsu was complete and the three of them had been sent on their way, I decided to brief my squad on the current information we had gathered. As the slave trader had confirmed, Kjo Masakazu had enough guards to take over an entire settlement without much issue. The underground info broker had also told us that he never went anywhere without his personal guards, but all he knew was that there were five of them, and they were all rogue shinobi from various lands. The gambler was also very useful and had told us that Kjo Masakazu was holding a party tomorrow night and that the only way in was to be hired as a waiter or have an invitation, which he had two of. That meant that two of us would have to sneak in while the other two used the invitations. It was simple. "Toyota and Sono, you will pose as a couple who have been invited to the party. I will accompany you as your son. That way, no questions should be asked." Sono looked a little puzzled, but "Captain, won't people ask why I look so young? I mean, I don't look old enough to have a child of your age." Sometimes she could be a real airhead. "Don't worry about that, Sonel. Once we fix your outfit and makeup, you will fit the part." That just leaves you, Suji. "You will sneak in and replace one of the waiters, blending into plain sight." He was about to protest but then decided against it. "Fine," he said, sipping on his tea, grumpy. "Should I make the arrangements then, Captain?" Toyota asked. I nodded. "Yes, see to it, Toyota." He stood and bowed before leading to make the preparations.

I was deep in thought now. Once inside, avoiding the normal guards and patrols would be easy. However, the real problem was the personal bodyguards, five of them too. Depending on their skill, they would most likely be able to sniff out any sudden bursts of attack. No, we would need a distraction, but what? I was snapped out of my thoughts by Sono, who offered me another cup of tea, which I accepted with a smile. "Thank you, Sono," I said, and she smiled back at me. "Of course, Captain." If it came to a battle, they had the advantage in numbers, and with having no information about their abilities, we had no idea just how skilled they could be. "Outnumbered and outgunned," I said under my breath. Sono gave me a questioning look. "What does that word mean, Captain?" I gave a small smile as I remembered I was in another world, and it wasn't the first time I had said something where others didn't know what I was talking about. "Forget it, Sono, it's just an expression," I said, laughing it off. She nodded and smiled back. Suji, on the other hand, didn't look impressed but stayed silent. "Well, if there is nothing else, I'm going to get some sleep," I said as I stood up from my seat. Sono nodded. "Of course, Captain." And Suji just grunted. "Whatever." I made my way to one of the empty rooms and laid down on the bed, setting my clothes down on the floor, folded up neatly. I started to question if we would be able to pull this mission off, mainly if I could pull it off without letting any of my team die. My mind was racing with all sorts of scenarios that could play out and how I would try and deal with them. Not long after, my exhaustion got the better of me, and I soon fell into a deep, dreamless sleep where I had no worries of the past or future.

Chapter 13: The Day of the Party

The day of the party fell upon us, and as ordered, Toyota had made the arrangements. He had gathered the disguises and any other items we would need for the event. Turns out, this party was not for lower-class citizens and would be filled with only those who could afford to be there. I devised the plan and came up with our aliases, each of us committing them to memory. Espionage was often part of a ninja's mission and was taught to all of us, even in the academy. Soon, the hour was upon us, and we made our way to Kinjo Masakazu's estate. Suji broke off as ordered and made his way for the servant quarters, ready to take his role in the mission. We soon joined a large queue that was moving in a steady pace. Everyone was dressed to impress, and it seemed no expense had been spared. "Invitations, please, sir," one of the guards asked, looking at Toyota. He reached into his blazer pocket and handed both of the invitations to the guard. He looked at the fine piece of paper and then up at both Toyota and Sono. "Is this your child?" he asked, looking at me. I had used a transformation Jutsu to make myself look 5 years old. "Yes, this is our child." "Child?" "We couldn't get a sitter and decided to bring him along," Toyota said with a small chuckle. "Normally, he would need his own invitation, but since he is so young, we shall make an exception." "You aren't the only one tonight," the guard said with a smile as he handed the invitations back to Toyota. "Please enjoy the party, sir, madam."

With that, we entered through the main gate into the large courtyard, where we followed the crowd into a huge hall. It was very fancy and had decorations laid out, coordinated perfectly. Buffet tables were laid out, as well as seating for all the guests. Waiters and waitresses were at beck and call, carrying trays of expensive champagne and fancy nibbles for people to snack on. There was even a band playing music, and the volume was just right so that you could still have a conversation. I had never seen anything like it except for in the movies, but I guess in every world, the rich still live the high life. It seemed Suji had wasted no time and approached us, carrying a tray of drinks. "Nice of you to join the party," I said, teasing him. He didn't look impressed but bit his tongue. "Any sign of the target?" Toyota said, changing the subject. "Guards posted at all entrance and exit points," Sono said as she took a glass off of the tray Suji was holding. "No sign of the target for now. Blend in," I said. The others simply nodded, and Suji walked off, assuming his position as a waiter. Toyota and Sono engaged in conversation with some of the other guests so as not to look out of place. Turns out, it was pretty easy when you were talking money. The hall was now packed, but even with so many people here, there was still ample room to move around. I decided to take the opportunity to have a wander around. After all, no one paid any attention to me being a kid. One thing was for sure, and that was that Kjo Masakazu was currently not in attendance. Hiding my presence, I slipped past one of the guards and proceeded up the stairs. He did have a lot of security, as I quickly had to jump and stick to the roof as two more who were patrolling the second floor passed by me, dropping to the floor like a shadow. I sped from door to door, trying to find any indication of Kjo Masakazu's whereabouts. The sound of footsteps suddenly grabbed my attention. Was it the guards? I thought to myself, but it couldn't be. They had just passed. I quickly opened one of the doors and shut it just before whoever was came around the corner. "Man, this gig is boring," a male voice said, followed by a yawn. "You're too lazy, Sasou. Don't drop your guard," a female voice said. "I know, I know. I just hope something interesting happens soon," the man said again. "Whatever. Let's go and regroup with the others. Lord Kjo wants all of us by his side tonight," the woman said as they passed the room I was hidden in and proceeded down the corridor. I waited a good few minutes before exiting the room. "If I was a betting man, then those two must be part of his personal guard," I said to myself, deciding that was enough snooping around. I resolved it was time to join the others back downstairs at the party. Little did I know that a pair of red eyes had lit up behind me, and before I knew it, I had been wrapped up in what looked like a large wooden centipede. Its grip was like being stuck in a vise, and I couldn't move. "What the hell?" I said as it started to squeeze me harder. "What do we have here?" a voice said from the shadows. "Who are you?" "I'm just a kid, you know," I shouted, trying to play that card. "Tut tut tut," the stranger said from the shadows. "We both know you are no child," he said as he stepped into view. He was a shinobi from the Hidden Sand, evident from his headband around his head. He had shaggy purple hair and wore a black overcoat over a red full-body robe. His hands were covered in bandages, and his fingers were moving strangely. That's when it clicked. "So, this guy is a puppet user," I thought to myself. "Why are you sneaking around? You do know this floor is off-limits," he said with a sinister voice. "But of course, you do," he said, giving me no time to answer his question. "I think I will kill you and forego the questions." Sudden with the flick of his fingers, the puppet started to squeeze as tight as it could. Thankfully, I had already grown an underlayer of bone that was too strong for the puppet to break through. Still, I couldn't break free, and this left me in a bit of a bind. "Why won't you die?" the man said, confused as to why his puppet had failed to crush me. "Well, in that case," he said as he flicked his fingers again. The centipede puppet's head wrapped around to face me head-on, and suddenly a poison spike protruded from its mouth. "If I can't crush you, then I guess this is the next best thing," the man said, sounding almost disappointed. I didn't have a choice, and I couldn't afford to play around now. Releasing the disguised Jutsu, I quickly fired a Jutsu I had come up with just in case this situation happened to occur. Breathing on the joints of the puppet, I exhaled a freezing breath of air, which instantly froze the puppet in place just before it tried to stab me. "What? What have you done to my baby?" the man shouted, clearly outraged. This was a technique I had come up with for emergencies just like this one. It required no hand signs and was simply chakra manipulation. By focusing my chakra in my throat, I could combine it with my Kijin Kai and create Frost Breath, as I called it. I quickly used my Frost Breath to freeze the puppet around my body, which allowed me to shatter it and break free of its grip. Now I had to decide if I should fight this guy or flee. "No, my poor baby! What have you done?" he shouted in a fit of rage as he clawed his face with his fingers. I was pretty taken aback, but I didn't let it take me off guard, and it was a good job too, as suddenly I was taken by the side as a massive fist collided with me, sending me crashing through the wall and out into the massive courtyard. "What's the matter, Kuray? This kid giving you trouble?" The puppet user looked at the one who had smashed me through the wall like a ragdoll and spat on the floor. "I don't need your help, Zasu," he shouted as he pulled a scroll out from his cloak. "Yeah, yeah, let's see if the kid is still breathing," the other man said as the two of them jumped out of the hole in the wall and joined me in the courtyard. I had only noticed him at the last second and hardly had time to put up a defensive reinforcement of bones in my arms. The force of his punch was so great he had broken both of my arms and sent me crashing through the wall. His strength was no joke. Even though I hadn't enough time to fully reinforce my bones, they were still harder than a normal person's, as I had gotten used to always keeping my body ready in battle. Luckily for me, broken bones were nothing to worry about, as I could grow them back in a heartbeat. "Well, look at that, Cay. The kid's still breathing, and after taking a hit at 50% power too. He's good." Kuray the puppet user unraveled his scroll and summoned two more centipede puppets. This time, connecting his chakra strings, they came to life and looked ready for battle. "I want to make this one suffer for what he did to my baby," the other larger man, who was called Zasu, scratched the back of his head and laughed. He was a large guy and had brown skin and white spiky hair. He wore a white training gi top with mesh armor underneath, complete with a red sash, black combat pants, and standard shinobi boots with white shin guards. What stood out most was his headband, which was on his red sash around his waist, and a massive armored battle gauntlet on each arm. This guy was from the Hidden Grass, and he sure packed a punch. "This is the first exciting thing to happen since we took this job. I'm not letting you hog all the action. We can share him." Kuray turned to look at him. "What do you propose?" Zasu held three fingers up. "We take it in turns, three minutes each against him, one at a time. Whoever kills him first is the winner." Kuray took a moment to think about it and then nodded. "Fine, but he won't last too long," he shouted as he launched both puppets towards me, prepared for the kill.

Meanwhile, back at the party, Toyota and the others had noticed my absence and were starting to get worried. "Where could he be?" Sono said, sounding a little worried. Toyota looked at her and smiled. "Don't worry, he can handle himself. However, I am concerned as he has been gone for a while." Suddenly, the band stopped playing, and an announcer spoke up on the microphone, gathering everyone's attention. "It is now with great pleasure that I welcome your host for this evening. Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Lord Kjo Masakazu!" The entire room burst into applause as two large doors opened, and the man himself walked out, dressed in very expensive robes. He was surrounded by his guards, and he walked to the edge of a platform. The room fell silent as everyone waited for him to speak. "Thank you, everybody, for attending this gathering this evening. It is with most pleasure that I welcome all of you wonderful people. Please enjoy yourselves, eat, drink, and of course, enjoy the festivities." With that, he raised his hand, and the band resumed playing, and everyone gave another round of applause. Kjo started making his way down the steps and joined the party, quickly becoming swarmed with people who wished to greet him. "What should we do?" Sono asked. Toyota looked at her. "For now, we do nothing. We either wait for Captain Yuki or wait for an opportunity to present itself." Suji walked over to the pair. "Where the hell is Yuki?" he said under his breath. "We aren't sure," Sono said as she took a glass from his tray, playing her part. "I'm going to go and look for him. You two stay here. I won't be long." Toyota and Sono nodded and proceeded to mingle at the party.

Kuray's puppet centipedes didn't waste any time as they came in for the attack. Each of them was filled to the brim with weapons and gadgets, just waiting to be used. Each of them already had poison blades sticking out all over their body. It was a massive pain in the ass, as it meant I was forced to dodge them. The blade itself wouldn't be able to penetrate me, but the poison, once through the small layer of skin, would enter my bloodstream. Thankfully, I was extremely agile and was able to avoid pretty much all of his attacks while I came up with a plan. Jumping back, I quickly formed the hand signs and counterattacked. "Water Style: Raging Waves Jutsu!" I shouted as I fired a large stream of water out, hitting both of the puppets, pushing them back and soaking them in water. It didn't last long, and they quickly broke their back on the offensive. "That level of water style won't be enough to stop my babies," Kuray shouted. I gave a small grin under my mask as he said it. My goal wasn't to do damage to the puppets with the water style but to simply get them wet. Now that they were wet, the next step was to freeze them and go on the counterattack. Well, as long as that other guy stayed out of it, all I had to do was make contact with the puppet, and I could freeze the thing in an instant. The first centipede started crawling in a rapid circle around me and fired a massive onslaught of poison candy at me. I jumped high into the air to avoid the attack, but was quickly met by the second that tried to wrap me up like before. Now was my chance, as I flipped mid-air and slapped my hand on the back of the puppet's wooden body, freezing it solid in seconds. The chakra strings even froze and snapped, letting the puppet plummet to the ground, shattering into pieces as it made contact. "And oh oh!" Kuray shouted, once again enraged that I had destroyed one of his puppets. "I-I won't let you get away with this!" he screamed, but suddenly Zasu had grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. "Sorry, little man, but your 3 minutes are up. It's my turn now." Kuray turned and started scratching his face, and his puppet returned to him, wrapping around his shoulder like it was a pet. The larger man stepped forwards as he cracked his knuckles. "Sorry about him, but he gets like this. Don't worry though, you won't have to put up with it for much longer." Suddenly, he launched forwards at incredible speed and smashed his fist into my chest, sending me flying through the air, crashing into a large pillar of stone. Zasu let out a breath and stood tall, taking a second before he spoke. "Well, kid, it was fun while it lasted," he said as he turned on his heel and started walking away slowly. "What? No fair, Zasu! I wanted to be the one to kill him!" Kuray shouted. To their surprise, I suddenly appeared above Zasu, and he was barely able to avoid a fatal blow that would have pierced his heart through his shoulder. The large man slid across the ground from the force he had just created to move back to avoid my kill shot. "This kid's good," he muttered under his breath. I didn't give him any time to think as I pressed on the offensive. From what I could gather so far, this guy had some kind of super strength, and now that I didn't have to worry about being poisoned, I could fight up close. Turns out, he wasn't just strong, he was fast too. He was able to dodge and avoid all of my attacks and even counterattack. "Not bad, kid, but not good enough," he shouted as his arm suddenly expanded in size and smashed me in my chest, sending me flying for the third time. Even though I had managed to put up my defense and create a wall of reinforced bone around my chest, the power of his attack had still fractured my ribs, and it hurt like hell. I had to be careful how many blows like that I took. I slowly stood back up as my bones healed and the pain faded, much to Zasu's astonishment. "Damn kid, I just hit you at 90% power, and you're still standing. I can't remember the last time this happened." I spat out blood from my mouth onto the ground and smiled. "Is that all you got?" "Ha, you got spirit, kid. I'll give you that, but looks like my 3 minutes are up," the big guy said as he walked back and let Kuray step forward. "I'm going to make you pay this time. This time, you won't survive," he shouted as he tossed a large scroll into

The air, the scroll unraveled, and a large white smoke cloud burst to life, clearing to reveal more than twenty foot-sized wasp puppets. "This is my ultimate puppet technique, Wasp Nest Puppet Jutsu!" he shouted, as chalker strings connected to all of the wasps, bringing them to life. As they all buzzed around, poison-covered stingers and all.

"You have got to be kidding me," I said, taking a ready stance.

"Kill him, my sweets!" Kuray shouted as all of the puppets suddenly swarmed me, attacking from all over. I flipped and dodged as fast as I could, but there were simply too many of them. Quickly using the Body Flicker ability, I zoomed to an open space and slammed my hands on the ground. "Ice Style: Ice Dome Jutsu!" I shouted as a large ice dome suddenly surrounded me, keeping me safe from the swarm of wasp puppets for the moment.

"You think you are safe there?" Kuray shouted as his puppets attacked with their stingers, but to no avail. The ice was way too strong for them to pierce, and it gave me time to catch my breath and think. "I guess there is only one way for me to defeat this guy without risking any damage. The only problem is that it costs a huge amount of chakra to use, and I don't know if I will be able to take the big guy with my remaining stamina. Even though my chakra reserves were impressive, I was still a kid, and my body had yet to mature, meaning my chakra levels were far from fully matured. For now, I would have to come up with another way of beating this guy unless I had no other choice."

"Besides, looks like time is up." Not a second later, my eye stone shattered as the big guy smashed his fist into a break. "It's my turn again, kid!" he shouted as he charged at me, almost too fast for me to follow. It was as if he could increase his speed and power at will.

"All right then, if I can't dodge, then how about this?" I suddenly allowed bones to protrude from all over my body, and his fist smashed into the side of my skull. He was too committed to his attack to stop at the last second, and one of my bones had stuck him in the gut, landing a fatal blow. However, the force of his strike was enough to shatter even my reinforced skull and give me a serious concussion. If I had not done a decent amount of damage, he would have been able to follow his attack through and most likely have ended me then and there.

Very slowly, I stood back up and tried not to seem too shaken, even though my brain was still bouncing around my skull. "Zasu," I spat out a large amount of blood and was surprised. "You managed to stand after that shot to the head?"

I didn't say anything, not because I didn't want to, but because I couldn't. But my brain was still trying to recover, and my tongue wasn't working at the moment. "Looks like your attack pierced my liver. I don't have long left now, so I'm going to put everything into this last attack. Kid, you better get ready."

Suddenly, he took a crouched position, and every muscle on his body expanded in size, almost as if they were going to burst. "Muscle Enhancement Jutsu: 80%!" he shouted. Even with blood running from his mouth and wound, this wasn't looking good. I had a feeling even with my bones' durability, if he landed a direct hit, I was dead. I couldn't block this attack, that was for sure, and there was only one way I could avoid it.

"Crystal Ice Mirrors!" I shouted as I made the hand signs. Ice mirrors suddenly appeared all around the courtyard, and I still pushed to create more. His attack was almost ready, and if I wanted to survive, I had to wait until his wound killed him. Quickly, I slipped into one of my ice mirrors to both of the enemy's surprise.

"Muscle Enhancement Jutsu: 100%!" he shouted as his body became even bigger. It was freakishly huge now, and he looked like he was about to pop.

"Stop, Zasu! If you do this, you will die!" Kuray protested, but Zasu didn't care. "This kid deserves to face me at my full power, to the death, and I plan on taking him with me, at the very least," he said as he crouched, ready to spring to action. The ground under his foot broke, broke as he suddenly disappeared from view.

Suddenly, one of my ice mirrors was smashed into pieces, and Zasu became visible for a second. "I will smash all of your mirrors until I find the real you!" he shouted as he vanished once again. His speed was incredible, and his power more so. He was smashing mirror after mirror, chasing my reflection in all of them, but it was no use. Every time he smashed one of them, I created two more. His speed was incredible, but it would seem his stamina was extremely limited in this form, and it wasn't long before his movements became visible. This guy was definitely not used to a long-winded fight, and with the added damage I was able to inflict upon him, this battle would be over soon.

I dashed out of one of the mirrors and fired my bone fingertip projectiles, and before slipping back into another mirror. The projectiles were not enough to pierce the massive layers of muscle surrounding Zasu's body, and he quickly smashed the mirror I had entered into, but to no avail. Now, even the puppet guy, Kuray, had joined the battle, and his swarm of wasps were attacking my ice mirrors, trying to help his comrade before he succumbed to his wounds. This was my chance to take both of them down at once. I had to time this right, and if I got it wrong, it could easily backfire on me, but I no longer had the chakra to try anything else.

Slipping out of one of the mirrors, I lured Zasu to attack me while I was keeping both of them distracted. I had created a mirror behind Kuray, which he had failed to notice for the time being. This was it. It was now or never. Zasu attacked head-on, raising his fists to strike. My ice mirror quickly, I made a hand seal with one hand, and instead of shattering, the ice mirror Zasu was absorbed right into it. Kuray was shocked, but not as shocked as when Zasu's fist smashed into his back. The force of the blow ripped Kuray's body into pieces of flesh and gut, splattering all over the courtyard.

Zasu looked on in horror as he realized what had just happened. He stopped, and suddenly his muscle mass began to shrink as he fell to his knees, coughing up a huge amount of blood. "What? How?" he said as he looked up at me, stepping outside of a mirror I had created not two meters from him.

"It's over," I said as I pulled a bone blade from my shoulder and placed the tip on his trapezius. Zasu lowered his head in defeat.

"Any last words?" I said as I gripped my blade with both hands, ready to sink it deep into his body.

"Just one. One," he said as he looked into my eyes.

"Bang," he said quietly as the Cippy puppet suddenly wrapped around me, its body flipping around to reveal hundreds of explosive tags igniting. The light that they gave off blinded my vision, and suddenly the bright light enveloped the entire courtyard.

Chapter 14

A massive explosion shook the entire building, shattering the large windows and cracking the walls. Everyone in the party room abruptly started screaming in panic. The guards suddenly rushed around. Kyo and others began rushing to the sight of the explosion. "Please, everyone remain calm!" one of the guards tried to shout above the confusion, but it was no use. Everyone was rushing to the exit, pushing past each other with no regard for anyone other than themselves.

Sono and Toyota nodded at each other as now was a perfect chance to kill the target. Toyota rushed around to the left side, while Sono ran straight towards Kenjo's location. "Please help me, Lord Kyo!" she screamed, drawing all of their attention. Two of the guards stopped her path, and she suddenly pretended to faint, both of them catching her. "Wake up, Madam!" the guard shouted, but it was no use. Swiftly, Toyota cut through all of the guards in his path before reaching Kenjo. The two guards were so shocked at what had just happened, they didn't even see Sono move to end both of their lives. Both Toyota and Sono had tossed their disguises away and released the transformation Jutsu and surrounded Kenjo.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kyo shouted, outraged.

"Sorry, my Lord, but this is the end of the line," Toyota said as he dashed forward. "Kayan hand!" Kyo fell to the floor, cowering as his life flashed before his eyes, when two shadows appeared before him. A woman's hand stopped Toyota's advance with her bare hand, holding his Kanai in a tight grip.

"What in the?" Toyota said out loud as the woman smiled. She suddenly spun around, her long black hair shadowing the spinning back kick that followed to Toyota's stomach, sending him back a few meters.

"Toyota!" Sono shouted, but she had her own problems, and she quickly ducked and jumped backwards, performing a backhand spring to get clear of her assailant. Both a man and the woman who had kicked Toyota across the room stood in between them and Kyo. Toyota stood back to his feet, throwing a table off of him as he did. Taking in all of the details, he looked at the woman first. She was tall, standing at about 5'9". She had long black hair that fell below her buttocks and wore a red Hidden Waterfall headband. She had a sleeveless black bodysuit that also covered her full legs down to her boots. Toyota then looked at the large, muscular man. He stood at around 6'5" and was very well built. He had a black face mask on and a Hidden Waterfall headband that was tied around a metal helmet with a trident-shaped ornament on top. His upper body was bare, showing many scars around his torso. On each hand, he had a set of three claws, and they looked razor sharp.

"Don't let your guard down, Sono!" Toyota shouted, sounding worried as he raised his Kai, putting his guard up fully. Sono also did the same thing, and they had no choice but to wait. Kyo stood to his feet, dusting himself off as he did. "Well, it's about time you got here. Another second, and I could have been killed." The large man turned to face Kyo. "I suggest you leave this place, Lord Kyo. Things could get messy." Kyo gulped and nodded. "Very well, Kawabata. I leave things here to you and Matatan." With that, he turned on his heels and walked off, exiting the room, calling for his guards.

"These guys must be part of the same team that Kuray and Zasu were fighting out in the courtyard," the woman said, flicking her hair out of her face with her hand. The large man turned to face Toyota and Sono and crossed both his claws across his chest. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kawabata Kimiki of the Hidden Waterfall. This here is Matatan, a Hun, also of the Hidden Waterfall. We will be the last faces you ever see."

"Look out!" Toyota shouted as both the Hidden Waterfall ninja charged forward. They started zigzagging between one another, and it seemed they were used to working together. Kawabata lunged forward, slashing at Sono, who was forced on the defensive, ducking under his first slash and then blocking his second with her Kai. "Not that easy, little girl," he said as suddenly lightning style enveloped his claws and cut through Sono's Kanai like butter. Sono quickly jumped backwards, doing a flip and tossing a handful of shuriken at Kawabata. He easily blocked all of them with his claws and pressed on the assault once again.

Matatan went after Toyota, engaging in a Taijutsu match. She was very skilled, and Toyota was starting to struggle against her constant assault. "Such a shame to kill such a handsome man like you," she shouted as she spun around, dropping to her knees, sweeping Toyota's legs from under him. Toyota hit the ground, and she quickly mounted him, raising her hand for the finishing blow.

"You're the one who is dying today," Toyota spoke softly as his body was suddenly replaced by the dead body of one of the guards that were lying about. "Jinjutsu!" she shouted as Toyota appeared behind her, slamming his Kanai into the back of her neck, going for a killing blow. To his surprise, his Kanai snapped as it made contact with her neck, and in the surprise of the moment, she struck him with another kick into his gut, sending him stumbling back. "Matatan!" stood to face him with a cheeky grin on her face. "Sorry, honey, but I'm not that easy to stick."

Meanwhile, Sono was doing her best to avoid Kawabata's onslaught, and she was struggling to get any distance from him. Despite his size, he was pretty agile. He launched forward, slashing in all directions, catching her across her back as she tried to flip out of the way. She screamed in pain as she hit the floor hard. Kawabata laughed as he walked over to Sono, picking her up by her neck. "You don't stand a chance against me, little girl." Sono couldn't speak as his grip around her throat was too strong. Instead, she dropped a gas canister and forced a smile before it set off a huge poison fog spread all around the area. Sono and Kawabata were battling in, and Kawabata quickly dropped her, dashing out of the fog as fast as he could. "You [ __ ] trying to take us both down!" Sono was nowhere to be seen as the poison fog was too thick to see through. Shuriken flew out of the fog, and Kawabata was forced on the defensive as he blocked all of the projectiles aimed at him. "I can do this all day," he shouted, waiting to see what she would do next.

"All right, that's enough of this. If you won't come out, then I will make you!" Wind Style! Kawabata shouted as he unleashed a massive gust of wind from his mouth, blowing the poison cloud away. Sono, however, was nowhere to be seen, and Kawabata was surprised. "Looks like you're not just a little girl after all."

Suji had heard the explosion and headed for its origin. Along the way, he had encountered a fair few guards, but thanks to his disguise as a waiter, no one stopped him. As Suji reached the side of the mansion that had taken the brunt of the explosion, he could see the level of destruction that had been done. Half of the courtyard and most of the side of the building facing it had been heavily damaged. Suji stepped over the rubble and started looking for any signs of life. His search effort was cut short by a gruff male voice capturing his attention. "I take it you're a friend of the one my comrades were battling here?" the voice spoke with little enthusiasm. Suji turned to look at the owner of the voice and was quite surprised at who he saw. It was a man sat on one of the larger pieces of rubble. His face was covered by his kasa, straw hat on his head. He wore a blue kimono with a white dragon pattern on it. Only one of his arms was in the sleeve, and the other was bare. He had a samurai sword strapped to his hip and black combat pants with battle boots on. One hand was on the tip of his sword's handle, while the other was on his hat. "That would make us enemies, boy," he said as he slowly stood to his feet, revealing his battle-hardened face. His eyes gave a heavy stare, his long black hair blowing gently in the night breeze. Suji smiled and released his transformation Jutsu, drawing his large sword. "I guess it does." The samurai also drew his blade. "My name is Tooer Takaki, I am an aronin." He was cut off by Suji. "Yeah, whatever. Let's fight!" he shouted as he slammed his mask, blade down, trying to split the Ronin in half. "I thought you would like to know the name of the man that kills you," he whispered as he counterattacked, his blade missing Suji's throat by a millimeter. Suji had managed to dodge the attack by a hair's breadth. Quickly, he pulled his blade from the ground and spun around, slashing hard towards Oshi's midsection, but his blade never made contact. Togo Shir had sure jumped into the air, his legs raised as he avoided the attack and swung his own blade down, aimed for the top of Suji's head. Suji jumped back as fast as he could, but hadn't managed to dodge the attack fully. Togo Shir had landed a clean slash down Suji's face from his forehead, going right down his left eye. Luckily, the cut wasn't deep, and he hadn't lost his eye. He may as well have, though; his blood seeped into it, obscuring his vision. Tooer let out a breath as he changed his fighting stance, pulling his sword so it ran along the side of his face, pointing at Suji. "Time for me to stop playing around," he said as his blade suddenly became engulfed in a blue chakra, making it even more deadly.

Sono had managed to take the opportunity to hide from her opponent with the aid of her poison gas. Luckily, she had the antidote, and with it, she was immune to its effects. Now that she had the element of surprise on her side, she stood a chance of winning. She had to be fast, though, so as not to let him aim his partner in fighting. "Toyota," Let's see if he can stop this," she said as she readied her weapons.

Toyota was in a world of trouble as Matatan's defense was pretty much impenetrable. Turns out she could use the Steel Release and even turn her entire body harder than steel, and even turn her limbs into weapons. Toyota was pretty sure he was only still alive because she wanted to take her time with him. She had become aware of his Jinjutsu abilities and never gave him enough time to cast a strong enough one on her to change the course of the battle. For now, all he was able to do was small illusions to help gain small advantages, but every time he did, Matatan would simply case herself in steel and became almost impossible to kill.

"What's the matter, pretty boy? I thought you wanted to stick your weapon in me?" Matatan shouted as she attacked in rapid succession. Toyota avoided her punches and flipped backwards, avoiding a high roundhouse. "Sorry, but you aren't my type," Toyota shouted as he quickly made a bunch of hand signs. Matatan realized what he was doing and quickly lunged forward, trying to stop his Jutsu. "I don't think so," she shouted as she ripped her arm right through his midsection. "A clone? Quick thinking of you. Now, where is the ARA?" she was cut off as Toyota spat out blood onto her face. "Don't get too excited, honey. I haven't finished my load just yet," he said with a cheeky grin, and he finished his last few hand signs. "Why you!" she shouted in a fit of rage as she lifted her other hand, turning the edge of a razor sharp, ready to cut Toyota's head off. Her body suddenly stopped, and her hand halted just inches away from his head as his Jinjutsu had taken full effect. "You're mine now," he said as he coughed up a little more blood, pulling her hand out of his body. He fell to one knee and pressed his hand over the wound. "Looks like she cut me deeper than I thought."

"That's enough hide-and-seek, [ __ ]! Show yourself!" Kawabata shouted as he started weaving hand signs. "I'll bring down this whole place if it means flushing you out!" A sudden storm of shuriken flew towards him, and Kawabata was quickly pressed against the wall as he tried his best to deflect all of them. He only noticed a gas canister land at his feet at the last second, and a shuriken hit him in the shoulder. Dashing out of the poison smoke, he continued to deflect the rain of shuriken that was still flying at him, and he jumped, doing a big flip, landing in a Spider-Man pose. Two Kanai wrapped in an explosive tag landed on each side of him and exploded, creating a debris cloud. Kawabata shot out of the smoke, high into the air, and stuck to the roof with his feet. He blocked another handful of shuriken with only one arm and then pulled out the one stuck in his shoulder. "You think this is enough to take me down?" Suddenly, Sono appeared right in front of Kawabata, pulling another gas canister pin right in his face. To her surprise, though, he didn't retreat and instead stabbed his claws into her chest, landing a vital blow. The shock on her face faded as she lost consciousness and fell to the ground hard. Kawabata quickly jumped down, making sure he was clear of the gas before taking a breath. "Looks like your poison is harmless if I don't breathe it in." He turned to look over at his teammate and was surprised to see her frozen in place, and Toyota crouched down, holding his wound. "What the hell is she doing?" he said as a sudden jolt of pain radiated from his shoulder. Kawabata grabbed where his wound was and could see that the vein in his arm and shoulder had turned black. "She poisoned the shuriken," he said as the poison started to take effect, and he fell to his knees, losing the feeling in his legs. "In a few minutes, your lungs will stop working, and you will die," a soft voice said from behind him. He forced himself to turn and look. It was Sono, and even though she was dying herself, she still had a smile on her face. "You [ __ ]!" Kawabata said in a malicious voice. "I'll... I'll see you in hell," he finally said before he collapsed to the floor, the poison taking full effect. Sono's last thoughts were starting to fade, and not long after, the light left her eyes.

Toyota had watched from the sidelines, powerless to stop what had happened to Sono. His wound wasn't looking good, but if he treated it soon, it wouldn't become life-threatening. The only problem was that the only medic had just been killed, and all he could do for now was tie a piece of his cape that he had torn off around it. His Jinjutsu had taken full effect of Matatan, but it had come at a great cost. Toyota had realized he would not be able to beat her without pulling a fast one like that, as it was the only way to trap her in his Jutsu. Matatan's world was black, and she could feel nothing. It was as if all of her senses had been blocked, and she had no idea how long she had been there. She screamed for him to face her like a man, but she couldn't even hear her own words. She tried activating her Steel Release Jutsu to cover her body, but she couldn't feel if it had even worked. She tried to focus on breaking the flow of her chakra, but the Jinjutsu was too strong to break alone. On the outside, her body was fully clad in her Steel Jutsu, and Toyota still couldn't deliver the finishing blow. At this rate, his Jinjutsu would fade before she let her defenses down, and he decided he had no choice. Placing a hand on her forehead, he started to channel his chakra. "I have to create a more powerful Jinjutsu to finish her off, but it will drain most of the chakra I have left, and I won't be able to stop the bleeding with it anymore," he thought to himself. "Looks like it's up to you, Captain Yuki. Hopefully, our sacrifice leads to the success of the mission."

Suji was locked in a vicious sword fight to the death. His adversary, Tooer, was an extremely skilled Kijutsu practitioner, and his skill in battle was evident. Suji was using every ounce of his abilities just to stay alive, and it still seemed as if Tooer was playing with him. "Don't look so bewildered, boy. I have been wielding a sword since before you were even born," Tooer said as he rested the back of his blade on his shoulder. Suji slammed his blade's tip into the ground and quickly began forming hand signs. "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" he shouted as a fair amount of water formed from thin air into the shape of a dragon and darted towards Tooer like a missile. Tooer raised his blade and swung it, releasing a powerful chakra slice, stopping the water dragon in its tracks, soaking the ground in the process. "That level of Water Style will never reach me, boy," Tooer said, once again readying his blade for another attack. "I think it is time we finish this little escapade." Togo Shir swung his blade, unleashing a chakra blast right at Suji. He picked up his blade and swung it as hard as he could to counter it, but the blast tore right through his own blade, snapping it in two. Suji felt like a helpless child and dropped to his knees after seeing what had become of his blade. "Don't tell me you have given up, boy?" Tooer said as he appeared behind Suji, his blade pressed against the side of his neck. Suji tried to swing one final attack, but before he knew it, he was disarmed and placed in a heavy wrist and shoulder lock, pinning him to the ground. Togo Shir had him pinned in the joint lock with one hand and placed the tip of his blade against the back of Suji's neck with the other. Suji gulped as his last moments were upon him, his heart thumping oddly in his chest. "This is the end, boy," Tooer said as he slid his blade into the back of Suji's neck, severing his spinal cord from his brain, granting him a quick death. Suji's arm fell lifeless to the floor as Tooer released it with the flick of his wrist. He swung his sword, flicking the blood off the end of it before spinning it around and placing it back into its sheath. "A merciful death, young one," he spoke softly as he picked his hat up off a piece of rubble and placed it back on his head, walking back towards the huge hole in the building. Suddenly, his battle-hardened reflexes kicked in, and he drew his sword in a flash of blinding speed to deflect what looked to be a sharp piece of bone. He quickly deflected more blows that came from the same weapon and slashed at the person responsible for the attack. To his surprise, it felt as if his blade had hit a wall of steel, and as his eyes adjusted to his attacker's form, he noticed it was a child. Fiona had survived the explosion by encasing his entire body in as much bone as he could. The blast had still done damage, and the force of it had rendered him unconscious and trapped under a large amount of rubble and debris. When he had come to, he could hear what sounded like a battle, and just as he had managed to shake himself free from his concrete prison, he had witnessed this man kill Suji. He was pissed, and he planned on taking out all of his rage on Tooer for killing his teammate. Oshi's blade was trapped under Fiona's arm as he hadn't even bothered to block the attack, instead absorbing it with his ribs and then locking it in place with his arm. Togo Shir was a little surprised that his blade had been trapped so easily and was about to channel his chakra through it, but he was suddenly forced to let go of his blade and retreat. Bones had suddenly darted out of Fiona's body from all over, ready to skewer Togo Shir like a ragdoll, and they would have, too, if he had not retreated. Fiona tossed the sword aside and slowly started walking towards Tooer. White bones protruding from all over his body, most noticeably two horns at the top of his head, making him look like a devil. "What the hell is this kid?" he said as he noticed his breath suddenly visible in the air. "Cold," he said again as the temperature around him suddenly dropped to freezing. The edges of a bit of rubble had even started to freeze over, and layers of ice started forming on the floor where Fiona stepped. Tooer looked at his sword and then at the demon that was walking towards him. "I can't win this," he said as he turned on his heel, ready to retreat. To his surprise, he was met with his reflection for a brief moment as he fell into the ice mirror before finding himself standing in front of Fiona. He looked down to see Fiona's bone blade sticking in his chest and then looked the child in the eyes. "Ice Style: Piercing Flash Freeze!" Fiona said as the ice started to spread from the wound into Oshi's chest, quickly freezing his entire body in a matter of seconds. Fiona pulled his blade out, and Oshi's body shattered into pieces onto the ground. Fiona allowed the bones to return into his body, and the temperature around the area returned to normal as his chakra settled. He walked over to Suji's body and looked at it for a moment in silence. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," he said as he placed an explosive tag on his body. "Farewell, Suji," he said as he walked into the building, the explosion sounding behind him, destroying his teammate's body.

Fiona made his way inside and finally reached the party hall. In an instant, he took in the situation and could see that Sono was dead and Toyota was not far behind. He quickly ran over to Toyota, who smiled when he saw who it was. "I knew you would make it, see, Captain," he said as he breathed his final breath. The light leaving his eyes, Fiona lowered his head and bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. "I couldn't save any of them after all," he said, almost too quiet to hear. He placed another tag on Toyota's body and walked over to Sono's body. She had a smile on her face and looked as if she died proudly. "Forgive me, Sono," Fiona spoke as he placed another tag on her body before walking out of the estate. The explosions signaling the end of his teammate's existence.

Shinobi were taught to suppress all emotion. There was no sorrow, no sadness. The mission came first. At least that was what was drilled into you. After surviving many battles in the war, Fiona had become almost completely emotionless, or could at least be when he wanted to. In the not-too-distant future, he could see that Kyo was being escorted away in his carrier, surrounded by about fifty guards. Fiona raised his head and took a deep breath. "The mission comes first." With that, he placed his hands together, making the hand sign for his ice mirrors. One of which formed right in front of him, while the other formed far into the distance. Fiona stepped inside the first, and not even a second later, out of the doing the same again, this time slipping out of a mirror now facing Kenjo's escort.

"Where the hell did this kid come from?" one of the guards shouted. The others raised their weapons and suddenly became tense. "Watch out! He's here for Lord Kyo!" another shouted, and they surrounded Fiona. They were nothing other than simple guards who couldn't even use Ninjutsu, and to Fiona, they may as well have been children. "All right, men, let's take him!" one of the guards shouted as he and ten others ran at Fiona, spears ready to attack. Fiona didn't even move. His bones sprang out, killing all of them without any effort at all. The others started panicking and they charged in at the same time, giving a battle cry. Fiona dashed forward like a hurricane and swept through all forty of them without any resistance whatsoever. Kyo had tried to run away after witnessing the sight of Fiona abolishing all of his men, but he was suddenly met by his own reflection as he ran into an ice mirror that formed right in front of him. He failed to stop in time and hit the mirror hard, falling backwards, blood gushing from his nose. Not a moment later, Fiona stepped out of the mirror, his form almost demonic, his clothing was covered in holes and the blood of his enemies. His aura was cold, and his eyes even more so. "Lord Kenjo," he spoke, gaining his attention. "Lord Mizukage sends his regards," he said as he pulled a bone blade from his shoulder, readying it to deliver the killing blow. Kyo stuttered and was about to speak, but his view was suddenly flipped upside down as his head left his shoulders. Fiona stood for a moment as he looked at his handiwork and then turned to look back at the estate that was ablaze. The moonlight reflected off Fiona's form, and he looked up at it, taking a moment to clear his thoughts amidst the carnage before him.

Chapter 15

Another year had gone by since the day Fiona had returned from his mission. The Mizukage had even praised him for his efforts and his success. Fiona was sad at the loss of his team, but he knew no good would come dwelling on it. They all knew the risks, and they all agreed to come, at least that was what he told himself. Fiona was given a new position, leading a unit of his own Umu members who reported directly to the Mizukage himself. The station was on par with the Seven Swordsmen itself and came with a lot of perks. Speaking of the Seven, only three of them were left after a battle with a might Dway of the Hidden Leaf who had used the Eight Inner Gates. He was able to kill four of their members, leaving only three left: Juo, Fuguki, and Ruga. It had decreased the military might of the Hidden Mist, and they now held a grudge against the Leaf.

Word had been spreading about the attack on the Hidden Leaf by the Nine-Tails. Rumor had it that the Fourth Hokage had even sacrificed himself to save the whole village and was hailed a hero. Of course, the high-ups of the village were glad to hear of his death, as it greatly reduced the strength of their village. Fiona knew what that signified and knew that Naruto had now been born and the Nine-Tails sealed within him. A part of him felt sad as he never got to meet Minato, but he was also kind of glad, as he was pretty sure if they met, it would not have been for a friendly chat.

Fiona had received a summons from the Mizukage and headed to his chambers with his new team. Once inside, he was met by the Fourth Mizukage and the Elders of the village. The elders stopped talking as Fiona and the others entered, bowing their heads. The Mizukage told them to rise, and they waited for his orders. "As you have probably heard, the Hidden Leaf was attacked by the Nine-Tails, and the Fourth Hokage is dead. This is an excellent opportunity to strike," the Mizukage said. One of the elders also spoke up, giving some details. "Intel shows that the new Jinchuriki is but a newborn child." Fiona got an uneasy feeling and couldn't help but feel he was about to be tasked with kidnapping Naruto.

"Your mission is a top-secret S-rank: kidnap the new Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails," the Fourth Mizukage said, standing from his chair and walking over to Fiona. "Can I count on you to fulfill this mission?" Fiona took a second to answer. "Yes, Lord Mizukage. It will be done," he said, deciding not to ask any questions. He had an uneasy feeling and couldn't help feel like he was being sent on an impossible task.

With that, Fiona and his team were dismissed, leaving the Mizuki's Mansion to make their preparations. Fiona didn't know anyone in his team, as they were a top-secret Umu unit, and even their identity was a mystery. Instead, they each had a code name assigned to them. Of course, they knew who Fiona was, as his reputation and age preceded him among the other Shinobi in the village. Fiona had instructed his unit to meet at set coordinates where they would cross the sea to the Land of Fire and set sail the next day. They all nodded and dispersed, leaving Fiona alone.

"So, they want me to try and kidnap Naruto?" he thought to himself as he returned to his home to prepare his gear. "Surely the Mizukage knows the success rate of this mission is near zero. Is he trying to send me to my death again?" Fiona spoke unobtrusively, reflecting on his last mission given by the Mizukage. He knew he didn't have any option but was pretty sure the mission would fail. He couldn't risk kidnapping Naruto and changing the path of the world to such a drastic extent. At the same time, he couldn't risk betraying his village, as death would most likely follow. No, instead, he knew he had to find a reason for this mission to fail, but how? He finished making the preparations and set off, heading for the rendezvous point.

Once all team members arrived, they entered a small boat and set sail, crossing the sea towards the Land of Fire. It was a full day's journey at most, but to do it unseen would take a little longer. The others chatted amongst themselves, and the current topic was the death of the Fourth Hokage. "I'm sure glad I never faced him in battle," one of them said with a little chuckle. "Tell me about it, he was a monster," another said behind his mask. One of the others, who was a woman, spoke up. "I saw him in action once, back in the war. He was so fast and handsome," she said. The others teasing her, laughing. Fiona had decided to remain silent and instead meditated on the mission at hand. Even if we were able to get through the Hidden Leaf defenses and into the village itself, they would still be facing huge threats. Not only was the Third Hokage still alive, but also the Uchiha clan. It was as if this mission was meant to fail, Fiona thought to himself. He was snapped out of it by his teammates as they asked a question.

"Captain," one of them said, seeming hesitant. Fiona turned to look at the three of them. "Do you think we can pull this mission off?" one of the men asked. The other punched him in the arm. "Are you questioning Lord Mizukage himself?" he bellowed. The two started to argue, while the woman stayed out of it. Fiona decided that was enough and stepped in, stopping them both. "All I know is that we are to gather intel and retrieve the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki if possible, though I highly doubt we will be able to walk right in. At the very least, you should be prepared for a fight. I think Lord Mizukage is still sore about what happened to the Seven," the woman said, placing her hands on her hips. Everyone went silent for a moment before Fiona spoke. "The Hidden Leaf are known for their powerful Shinobi. They should never have let their guard down in the first place," he said, turning away from the others. The others were a little shocked by his outburst, and one was about to speak up; however, the other male grabbed his arm and shook his head, knowing it was best not to. Fu had proven his abilities and was considered on par with the Seven themselves. Fiona sat back down and started to think about the upcoming mission. He was pretty sure they wouldn't even be able to step foot in the village. His and the lives of his team were on the line. "Do I have to make these decisions again? Do I have to watch as my men die?" he said under his breath so the others couldn't hear him.

The sun was setting in the distance, and the others were preparing food for their evening meal. Fiona made his decision and sat with his new unit to eat. "Eat," he had not long known them, but he knew he didn't want to see them die. They were forbidden to remove their masks and reveal their identity to anyone other than the Mizukage himself; therefore, they had to eat by lifting their mask just enough so they could place the food into their mouths. They all ate in silence, and once finished, the woman whose code name was Aka and one of the other men whose code name was Murasakino took the first watch. Fu and the other man whose code name was Madori hit the hay to get some rest until it was their turn to take watch. Fiona's code name was Chiroy, which meant the color white. The others all also meant a color, and Fiona had no idea as to why they were named after colors, but decided not to think about it too hard. Before they knew it, the sun had risen, and the Land of Fire was in their view. They docked the boat as they quietly approached the shoreline. It was hidden by a cliff and rocky terrain, not ideal for docking, but this way they would remain out of sight. The team assembled around Fiona, and they stayed low in the tree line as Fiona pulled out a map of the Land of Fire. "All right, Squad, listen up. Our current position is here, on the edge of the Land of Fire. Given the speed we will be traveling at and add in time for rest, we are about 2 days away from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It is imperative that we remain under the radar as much as possible." The others nodded as they listened to Fiona's plan, and honestly, they were impressed. "We will move in formation B, also known as a zigzag formation. That way, we will be harder to ambush. I will take lead, followed by Madori, then Aka, and last will be Murasakino. Any questions?" he asked as he rolled up the map and placed it in his weapons holder on his hip. The others shook their heads, as Fiona had covered every detail and left no questions unanswered. "Good, let's move out," Fiona said as he used the Body Flicker to disappear and start the journey to the Hidden Leaf. The others followed suit and assembled in the zigzag formation, keeping the correct distance away from one another in case of an ambush. This tactic allowed them to move quickly but stealthily at the same time, and if ambushed, it also allowed quick reaction time and lessened the casualty rate of the squad due to the large spacing between troops. The squad had traveled for a full day before they stopped to rest, and so far, they had encountered no Hidden Leaf patrols. They set up camp, and they all prepared their meals for the evening. Ration bars and food pills were all they could eat, as a fire was out of the question and could give away their position. They had all taken it in turns to keep watch as the others slept through the night, rotating just once each. It was just before the crack of dawn when Fiona had given the orders to move out. It was a smart decision to move out before first light, allowing them to gain more ground hidden in the darkness. They were still a day away from the Hidden Leaf borders and now had to be more careful. The damage from the Nine-Tails attack could be seen from even this far out. Fiona could only imagine how much damage it had done to the Village itself and how many lives were lost. Fiona was sure it was a 50/50 whether they had increased border patrols or whether all units had been gathered in the village to help with the cleanup. Fiona felt a sudden jolt run down his spine as he stopped and halted his team. Not a second later, a storm of shuriken rained upon them, blocking out the light as they fell from the sky. The other Umu members drew their weapons as fast as they could. "There's too many!" Aka shouted in a little panic. Fiona quickly made the hand signs, and domes of ice formed around him and his teammates, protecting them from the storm of shuriken. Once it was over, the ice shattered, and Fiona shouted orders back to back. "Now!" All of them did as they were told, forming a back-to-back formation, ready for what came next. A man dressed in a Hidden Leaf flak jacket with dark pants and a long-sleeve shirt landed on a tree branch overlooking Fiona and the others. "Well, it seems you were able to defend against my Shadow Shuriken Storm," he said in a gruff voice. The man had dark hair, which he wore in a topknot, and dark eyes with pronounced tear troughs. Fiona also noticed that his arm sleeve was emblazoned with the symbol of the Hidden Leaf Police Force, which meant only one thing. "Be on your guard. This guy is a member of the Konoha Police Force, meaning he is an Uchiha," Fiona said as he focused his chakra, ready for an attack. Suddenly, two more Konoha Shinobi appeared next to the Uchiha. One was a woman who had silver hair and red fang marks down her cheeks. She wore the standard Konoha battle gear, same as the Uchiha. It was obvious she was a member of the Inuzuka clan, as she was accompanied by a massive black war dog with scars down its face and on its huge chest. It was a massive black mastiff of some kind, and it looked battle-hardened. "Man, you're as fast as always, Yakumi," the woman said as she crossed her arms over her chest, looking down at us with a vicious smile. "Well, look what the cat dragged in," she said, her eyes hungry for battle. The large beast of a dog next to her snarled as if saying something itself. The other was a

Large man that looked kind of plump, almost fat. Fiona recognized that he was a member of the Akimichi clan. He is very robust and wears a samurai-like outfit with the kanji for food on the front of his battle armor. He covers his medium green, spiky hair with a Koha forehead protector that he wore like a bandana.

"Looks like Hidden Mist tracker units," he said in a deep voice. Yakumi nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "What are you doing so close to our village?" he said, waiting for an answer.

Fu decided to stay quiet, and it seemed to piss the female Inuzuka member off. "Forget it, Yakumi. Let's just finish them right here and drag them back for interrogation."

"Calm down, Hara. It won't be that easy, you know," the Akimichi clan member spoke. Yakumi, who seemed to be the leader, nodded in agreement with the fat one. "Tsuu is right, Hara, but still, we cannot let them go any further," he said, his eyes suddenly turning red as he activated his Sharingan.

"Don't look into his eyes, no matter what!" Fu shouted to his team, stressing the matter. The others felt tense at the fact their Captain seemed stressed himself. Fu had a lot of quick thinking to do. Not only did he quickly have to weigh up the enemy's strengths and abilities, but his own squad's, deciding who was best suited to take on who. Fu had read each file about each member of his squad and knew all of their strengths and weaknesses. Now he had to decide what to do with them.

AKA, who was the sole female of the group, was skilled in Ninjutsu, mainly water style. She was a long-distance combat expert and wouldn't fare well against any of the Hidden Leaf forces in front of them. Next was Mira Sakino, who was a large, well-built man. His strengths lying in Taijutsu and Kinjutsu, taking advantage of his physical strength. He was also well-versed in Earth style and Water style. He was best suited to take on the Akimichi guy, as his abilities were mostly physical. Last was Madori, who was the other male in Fu's unit. He was an all-rounder and didn't specialize in any area, but was more a jack of all trades that made him best suited to take on the Inuzuka and her warhound. Fu would also have AKA support him from the back, as Fu had a bad feeling about her ninja hound. He looked pretty strong. That left Aiha and Fiona himself. Truth be told, he had wanted to see just how strong the Aiha were and wanted to fight this guy one-on-one to test his abilities against the Fain Sharingan.

"All right, listen up, you lot!" Fu shouted, gaining the attention of his squad. "AKA and Madori will take the woman and hound. AKA, you support Madori from the rear and try and keep the ninken separated from its master. Mirusako, you take the fat one from the Akimichi and watch out, he will be very strong." He finished taking a breath.

"But Captain, what about you?" AKA asked.

"I'll handle the Aiha by myself. Now get ready," he said, lowering his stance. "Now!" he shouted as he rushed towards his adversary, ready for battle.

Fu locked into a Kai clash with the Aiha, making sure to only look at his chest and not his face.

"You're young for a Blood Mist, kid," Yakumi said, as he was surprised by Fu's strength.

Fu smiled from behind his mask, and suddenly his body started turning into ice, taking Yakumi by surprise. "What the hell?" he shouted, as his Sharingan spotted that it was an ice clone. Fu had secretly allowed one of his ice clones to leave the squad the whole time, while he kept well at the back, just in case something like this happened.

Boom! The ice clone suddenly exploded, and razor-sharp icicles shot out in all directions. Yakumi, with the use of his Charing Dawn, was about to jump out of the way at the last second and deflect all the projectiles that came his way. He landed smoothly on a large tree branch, and suddenly Fu was on him. Impressing the attack, Yakumi was only still alive thanks to the Sharingan, as Fu was spinning and attacking with bones that suddenly sprouted from every area of his body and then suddenly disappeared just as fast. It was almost too much to keep track of, but Yakumi was able to pull it off. He blocked and dodged with supreme skill. Fu's attacks only grazing him at most, as he struggled to land a blow thanks to his fighting style. The Yakumi was unable to counterattack with Taijutsu, and he used the Body Flicker to gain some distance as he started forming hand signs.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" he shouted as he unleashed a large ball of fire heading right towards Fiona. He was expecting as much, as he already knew that the Aiha were well-versed in fire style. Forming his own hand signs, he quickly raised a huge wall of water to protect from the fireball.

"Water Style: Water Wall!" he shouted, as the amount of water became greater and extinguished the Fire Style with ease.

"That's not all! Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!" Fiona shouted as he formed the hand signs with the utmost speed and skill.

Yakumi landed back down on a tree branch and could see Fiona making the hand signs rapidly. "I have to counter it, or I'm done for!" he shouted as he started quickly forming his hand signs.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" he shouted as he flipped backwards, landing on the ground and slamming his hands down. A wall of solid earth erected out of the ground just in time to protect him from the massive Water Style that Fiona had unleashed.

Meanwhile, AKA and Madori had charged into battle with the Inuzuka and her ninken. Madori had taken the lead while AKA stayed at the back to help support him.

"Hidden Mist Jutsu!" she shouted as she made the signs, allowing the mist to cover the area they were doing battle in.

The Inuzuka woman smiled. "You see that, Ryin? They think if we can't see them, we can't find them. Let's show them what we are made of!" she shouted as she kneeled down onto all fours. The large dog barked as it did the same, bearing its large fangs.

"Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: All Fours Jutsu!" she shouted as her chakra became wilder, her teeth grew sharp, and her nails turned into claws. "Now, Ryin, let's go!" she shouted as she suddenly disappeared from view.

AKA had lost track of both her and the ninken and placed her back against a large tree for cover. "Where in the hell did they go?" she said quietly to herself. She spotted a red glow through the mist and ducked at the last second. It was Ryin. He had charged through the mist at high speed and gone for the kill with his massive fangs. AKA had avoided the blow, and the tree that Ryin sank his chakra-enhanced bite into, toppling over. The force of it slamming against the ground caused the mist to disperse, and all was visible again.

Ryin was back on the attack and growled as it circled AKA with vicious intent. "Did you really think we couldn't find you in that mist? Our sense of smell is well beyond that of what your pitiful mist can hide," Hara said as she slashed AKA in the back with her razor-sharp nails. Ryin darted in for the attack from the other side to finish her, but Madori appeared in front of the beast, blocking its bite with his sword. To his surprise, he was being pushed back by the ninken's strength and turned to AKA.

"Now!" he shouted, quickly turning back to the ninken that was gaining ground on him.

"Right, Water Style..." she was cut off as Hara suddenly darted back, hitting AKA again, knocking her to the ground, and darting off again.

"I don't think so, you bastard!" she shouted as she vanished once more. She was using standard hit-and-run tactics, taking advantage of her speed. The ninken snapped Midori's sword and sank his fangs into his shoulder, getting a loud scream. Suddenly, Madori burst into white smoke; his shadow clone undoing from the damage from the ninken. Ryin growled and quickly jumped high into the air, avoiding a jumping slash attack from Madori, who quickly rushed to AKA, picking her up and rushing off, trying to gain some ground.

"Come on, AKA, wake up! I can't beat these two alone!" he shouted as he carried her unconscious body further into the forest.

"Fong over F!" Suddenly, a rapid body of rotating, razor-sharp fangs and claws zoomed past Madori, clipping his arm, causing him to drop AKA.

"Fuck!" he shouted as he turned around, ready for the second attack that was incoming. He pulled out four shuriken and infused them with lightning style chakra, quickly tossing them into the ground to form the corners of a square.

"You fell for it!" he shouted as he quickly made the hand signs. "Lightning Style: Lighting Box!" as Hara and Ryin spun into the square using the fawn over fawn. They were suddenly encased in a lightning field that formed a box, trapping them. Failing to stop in time, they hit the barrier and were both electrocuted and slammed to the ground hard. Hara had taken a hard hit and couldn't move for the moment, while Ryin was already up and was glaring at Midori.

"It's over. There is no escape from this Jutsu. If you touch the barrier, you will be fried," Midori said as he walked over to AKA, who was slowly getting up.

"You okay?" he asked as he helped her up. She looked at him and nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks."

Ryin suddenly jumped at the barrier wall, and the lightning started zapping the beast with all its power.

"I'll say that mud sure is strong," he was cut off as the ninken broke through the lightning barrier and charged right for him, its massive chakra-enhanced fangs ready for the kill.

"Look out!" Murasakino was currently locked in a contest of strength with the Akimichi. Both of their hands and fingers were locked in a power struggle, both trying to gain ground on the other.

"Give it up, fat boy," Mirusako shouted, trying to taunt his opponent. The Akimichi member suddenly went red in the face as he lost his concentration for a second. That was all Mirusako needed, though. He smashed his knee into Tsuu's gut, knocking the wind out of him.

"Earth Style: Stone Fist!" he shouted as he smashed his fist, that was reinforced by Earth Style chakra, into Tsuu's face, sending him flying through the air, smashing into a tree hard.

"Ha! Is that all you got?" Mirusako said as he cracked his knuckles.

Tsuu pulled himself out of the tree he had been stuck in and spat blood onto the floor. "You'll pay for that!" he shouted.

"Expansion Jutsu!" Tsuu shouted as both his arms and legs grew very large. He lunged rapidly towards Mirusako and slammed one of his huge fists into him. Mirusako had crossed both his arms across his body to try and block the attack, but the force was too great, and he was sent flying through the air, crashing into the ground and skidding along it. He didn't have much time to react as Tsuu was on him again, using his massive legs to increase his jumping power and then attacking with the power of his arms. It was surprisingly effective. Mirusako rolled out of the way, the shockwave of the blows smashing the ground he was just on. He quickly punched both hands into the soft ground, pulling them back out, covered in solid earth and rock.

"Earth Style: Stone Gauntlets Jutsu!" he said as he pulled his arm back, smashing his fist against Tsuu's fist, evening the playing field. The two of them exchanging blow for blow, their fists clashing against each other in a vicious contest of strength. Tsuu's fists were battered and bleeding after clashing with the solid Stone Gauntlets around Mirino's fists. Thanks to the chakra enhancement, they were as strong as steel, and Tsuu of the Akimichi clan had yet to put a scratch on them. And Mirusako pressed his advantage, landing a huge body blow to the liver, stunning Tsuu, and then following through with a big right hand to the face, sending him flying through the air.

Tsuu hit the ground hard and bounced, rolling like a ragdoll until he was able to stop on his hands and knees. He coughed up blood from the body shot and was pretty sure his liver had been ruptured from the blow. "I only have one chance left, or it's over," he said, breathing heavily.

Mirino walked over slowly, banging his Stone fists together. "Looks like your finished, fat boy," he said mockingly.

Tsuu exhaled hard and spat out more blood onto the ground. "It's not over," he mumbled.

"What was that, fat boy?" Mirusako said, not quite hearing him.

"I said, it's not over! Super Expansion Jutsu!" he screamed at the top of his lungs as he slapped his hands together, focusing all his chakra. Suddenly, he grew into a giant, towering over even the trees in the forest. Mirusako was not backed by the force of his chakra alone and was forced to look up in fear as his giant opponent stood before him, cocking his fist, ready to smash it into his opponent with all his might. Mirusako was unable to dodge the blow, and the force of it crushed him, breaking every bone in his body, killing him instantly. The shockwave of the blow smashed a huge crater into the ground and unearthed trees, sending them scattering into the distance. The force of the blow even interrupted Fiona's battle with Yakumi Aiha, sending both of them flying through the air. Fu was headed for a large tree and quickly formed an ice mirror to catch him and then slip out onto the ground to safety. Yakumi was not so lucky and was forced to pull out a grappling hook and attach it to a thick tree trunk until the shockwave passed.

"Looks like Tsuu finished things off over there," Yakumi said as he recovered, turning to find Fiona standing in front of him.

Fiona made a single hand sign, and ice mirrors formed around them both like a dome, caging the two inside. "This is the end for you, Aiha. Not even your Sharingan will protect you from this," just Fiona said as he slipped into one of the mirrors, his reflection appearing in all of them. Yakumi took a defensive position with his Kai raised, his eyes flickering from mirror to mirror, trying to work out where the real one was.

"This kid's abilities are too strong for me to take on alone," he thought as he suddenly saw movement out of each mirror. A clone of Fiona appeared, surrounding Yakumi.

"These are solid clones! What the hell is this kid planning?" he said as his Sharingan noticed the stable chakra inside each of them, like the one that exploded on him.

"It's no use, you can't escape from this Jutsu," Fiona said, his voice echoing around the ice prison. "This Jutsu will use a large amount of chakra, but it is the only way I can defeat him quickly," Fu said to himself.

Yakumi took one last look around, trying to find a way out, even looking to use his Earth style for a way out. "Damn this brat! He has even frozen the moisture under the ground to stop me escaping underground! I can't escape this!" All of Fu's ice clones charged into attack, Yakumi quickly exploding at the same time, sending sharp icicles flying in all directions. Fu had even linked all of the mirrors so when the icicles flew into one of the mirrors, they flew out another one, almost creating a never-ending barrage of ice spikes, only stopping when they hit their target. Yakumi was unable to defend against such an attack and was ripped to shreds, being skewered at all angles, finally hitting the ground once all of the projectiles had hit him. To Fu's surprise, he was still alive, taking his last breaths. Fu noticed his Charing Dawn was still active and was careful not to look into his eyes until the very end. The thought crossed his mind rather suddenly that he could take the Sharingan eyes for himself, and he was sure they would come in handy in the future. After all, it was one of the most OP abilities in this world. Fu had released his Jutsu so not to waste any more chakra and knelt down over Yakumi's body. He reached out, his fingers extended, about to gouge out Yakumi's eyeballs. When Fu suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, jumping high into the air, he was able to dodge a sudden lightning thrust attack. Fu flipped in the air and landed in a Spider-Man pose, looking at his new enemy.

"Kakashi Hatake," he muttered under his breath.

Chapter 16

Fiona stood face to face with three Umu, black hops of the Hidden Leaf, one of which he knew was Kakashi Hatake.

"Give it up, scum!" one of the other Umu me shouted as he drew his sword. Fu's mask broke into two and fell to the floor, revealing his face to the enemy. Kakashi's lightning blade being the cause.

"He's just a kid," one of the Umu said, a little surprised.

"Don't let your guard down," Kakashi shouted. "He just killed a member of the Aiha clan by himself. He's clearly no ordinary kid." The others nodded in agreement, and a small stalemate took place. Kakashi looked over at the dead Aiha and then back to Fiona.

"Now!" he shouted as the three of them attacked in formation, trying to overpower Fu with numbers. The two other Umu members charged, taking the left and right flank, while Kakashi took the center. The one on the left attacked high with an axe kick, which Fu dodged. The one on the right attempted to sweep his legs, but Fu jumped, performing a perfectly executed butterfly kick. Kakashi suddenly halted, sensing the danger, and tried to warn his teammates, but he was too late. Fiona flung his arms open, allowing bones to shoot from all over his body as the two Umu members charged in for another attack. The one on the right was too slow and failed to dodge, getting impaled, while the one on the left quickly flipped backwards, avoiding the counterattack.

"What the hell is this kid? Is he some kind of monster?" the other Umu said to Kakashi.

Fu smiled and pressed on the attack. "You think one Sharingan will be enough to beat me?" he said as he threw a quick jab beforehand, planting onto the ground and spinning, using his legs to kick bones shooting out at the same time like blades. Kakashi was able to avoid the first attack but was quickly pressed on the defense as he blocked with his own sword, ducking and slipping attack after attack. Fu was spinning and flipping around too fast for Kakashi to keep up, and he quickly retreated.

"His Taijutsu is amazing. I can't exchange blows with this kid," he said, quickly making hand signs. Fu was suddenly pulled underground, only leaving his head visible above. The other Umu member had managed to drag him underground, giving Kakashi a chance to attack.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Kakashi shouted as he fired a large fireball at Fu's head. The attack hit, scorching the ground, and once the flames dispersed, Fu's head appeared melted and burnt.

"Did we get him?" the other Umu said as he landed next to Kakashi. Suddenly, Fu's head started melting, turning into an ice clone, taking them by surprise. Fu appeared behind the other Umu members, slamming a kick into his body, sending him flying through the air and into a tree hard.

Kakashi lunged in for the attack from behind with his lightning blade. "Lightning Blade!" he shouted as he thrust his hand into Fu's chest. To Kakashi's astonishment, Fu smiled at him, looking down at the attack which had failed to pierce his chest.

"That won't work," Fu said as he suddenly allowed bones to shoot from his chest, aimed right at Kakashi's head. Kakashi dodged by a hair's length as the tip of the bone passed his face, almost taking his eye out. Kakashi quickly jumped back, trying to make sense of what just happened.

"How did he stop my lightning blade?" he said as he looked over to his teammate who had recovered and was back on his feet.

"We can't fight this kid with Taijutsu, and it would seem he has a way to counter my lightning style. We should use a combined Jutsu and keep our distance," Kakashi said as he explained the plan.

As interesting as it was to battle with Kakashi, Fu knew he was running out of time and he had to hurry this up. He looked down at the mark left on his chest from Kakashi's attack. Fu had figured out how to use his own lightning style with his Shakuton abilities a while ago, and with a lot of practice, he had eliminated his weakness to lightning style and increased his attacking power. Fu quickly started making hand signs, and Kakashi and the Umu quickly went on the defensive. Kakashi tried to figure out what Jutsu he was using, but even with his Sharingan, he didn't know.

"Don't tell me he has a Kekkei Genkai?" he said, realizing if he couldn't copy it, that was the reason why.

"Ice Spear Jutsu!" Fu said as the air around him turned cold, and a dozen large spears made of ice formed from the moisture in the air.

"Look out!" Kakashi shouted as Fu unleashed the spears in a massive fury. Kakashi was able to dodge the first shot, but his teammate was struck, the ice freezing him instantly, killing him. Kakashi quickly took shelter behind a large tree. He was breathing heavily now as he tried to come up with a plan.

Foo suddenly appeared above him, letting the ice spears that were floating around him fly. Kakashi flipped backwards, springing off his hands, avoiding the attacks, each of them freezing whatever they hit. Cornered and out of options, he summoned lightning into both of his hands and used it to deflect the final two spears, shattering them.

Fu quickly appeared behind Kakashi in an instant. "He's so fast!" Kakashi shouted as he swiped with his lightning blade. Fu ducked under the attack and then stopped Kakashi's other arm with a bone blade enhanced with his own lightning style. For a moment, their eyes locked, and Fu smiled. Quickly, he started making hand signs with one hand before inhaling a large amount of air.

"Hand signs with one hand?" Kakashi shouted as he jumped backwards on the defensive.

"Wind Raging Dust Jutsu!" Fiona shouted as he unleashed a massive wind blast from his mouth, hitting Kakashi, sending him smashing into a tree hard. Kakashi slid down to the ground, pulling himself together at the last second to break his fall.

"I can't beat this kid," he said as he struggled to catch his breath.

Fu walked over to him but kept his distance. It was Kakashi he was fighting after all, and even though it seemed he had won, he wouldn't let his guard down. He was right not to. His Kakashi she suddenly burst into white smoke, leaving a log substitution. Fu said with a smile as he turned around, looking for any signs of him. That's when it hit him. He had looked into his Sharingan eye in the heat of the moment. "How could I be so stupid?" he thought to himself as he clasped his hands together, focusing as hard as he could, closing his eyes. He focused on breaking his flow of chakra, which was easier said than done. Fu was able to pull it off and open his eyes at the last second, seeing Kakashi speeding towards him like a bullet with his lightning blade in both hands.

"Lightning Cutter!" Kakashi screamed, extending both of his arms, aiming to slash Fiona in half. At the absolute last second, Fu was able to sprout bones from his body that interlocked with each other, forming a kind of armor protecting his entire upper body. Kakashi's attack knocked him flying through the air from the force alone, but thanks to his quick reflexes, his Shakuton Makaku body armor increased with lightning style chakra had held its ground. Fiona flipped through the air, landing on the ground with a smile on his face. He stood up slowly and looked at Kakashi, who was out of breath and low on chakra.

"Now, this kid only looks a few years younger than me, yet he's so strong," Kakashi thought as he struggled to catch his breath. "As much as I would love to continue this battle, I don't have time. I hope we meet again, Kakashi of the Sharingan," Fu said as he raised his arm and made the hand sign.

"Hidden Mist Jutsu," he said as the mist enveloped him and the surrounding area, allowing him to disappear without a trace. Kakashi watched and breathed a sigh of relief as he felt Fu's presence vanish. "Just who the hell was that kid?"

Meanwhile, "Look out!" AKA shouted as she pushed Madori out of the way of Ryin as it sank its massive fangs into her neck, breaking it as it clamped down hard. Her body went limp, and Ryin let go of her, her body falling to the ground. Midori only had a second to process what had just happened as Ryin lung forward, swiping with its massive paws. Madori blocked the attack with his sword, and man and beast exchanged blows in a vicious battle. Hara came to and watched as Ryin battled with Madori, and she whistled for the ninken to return. Ryin quickly retreated to her side, snarling at Midori, who was in a defensive sword stance and breathing heavily.

"It's time to finish this, Ryin. Let's do it!" she shouted as she jumped on the ninken's back, mounting the large beast. Hara made some hand signs quickly, and her chakra flared to life. "Man Beast Transformation: Three-Headed Beast Jutsu!" she shouted as the two of them transformed into a massive three-headed hellhound. Midori almost dropped his sword as he looked at the huge monster. It roared with all three heads, and the shockwave alone blasted Midori back, and he decided it was time to retreat.

"I don't think so!" the massive beast shouted as it suddenly spawned rapidly, tearing the trees and ground in the area, smashing everything in its path to dust with its huge destructive power. Midori was blown back by the force and was only just able to recover, taking cover behind a huge tree. "What power! I can't take that thing on by myself," he said, looking for a way to escape.

"I Spear Jutsu!" a voice shouted from a distance. For ice spears smashed into the large beast's feet, freezing them to the ground and pinning it in place. The beast howled in pain as it tried to pull free, but the ice was too strong.

"I need water!" Fu shouted at Midori as he pointed to the ground under the beast. Midori understood and quickly made his hand signs.

"Water Style: Raging Waves Jutsu!" he shouted as he fired as much water from his mouth as he could, covering the ground and a decent size for Fiona.

"Perfect! Now, Ice Style: Frozen Graveyard Jutsu!" he shouted as he slammed his hands down on the water, pumping as much chakra as he could into it. The water froze, and then massive ice spikes started shooting from the ground, hitting the beast and doing damage to it from underneath, stabbing it over and over again. The monster didn't last long, and soon the Jutsu faded, and Hara and her ninken were left impaled on the large ice spikes.

Fiona felt fell backwards and let out a large sigh. He was exhausted now after using so much chakra, and his body felt like lead. Midori was speechless at how strong Fu was and didn't have any words to say.

Fu sat up slowly and looked at Midori. "AKA?" he asked. Midori shook his head, and Fu nodded, standing up slowly. "It's time to leave. The mission is a failure," he said, turning to look at the direction of the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Understood, Captain," Midori said, not questioning him. With that, the two of them made their way back before any more reinforcements arrived. The two of them made it back to the boat and set sail for the Land of Water. Fiona almost collapsed from exhaustion as his small body struggled to deal with the massive strain that had been put on it. Midori let him rest and pretty much navigated the whole trip by himself until Fiona had recovered. Once back at the Village, they reported to the Mizukage and the elders who were in his chambers. Fu and Midori entered and bowed before Fu gave the full report of the mission and its failure. The room was silent for long enough to make Fu and Midori uncomfortable, and finally, the Mizukage spoke.

"The Mist cannot afford to lose any more of our elite shinobi. You made the right call, Fiona." The tension in the room faded, and then one of the elders spoke up. "To have survived against a member of the Aiha clan and a squad of elite troops of the Leaf by yourself is a testament to your ability as a Blood Mist shinobi." The Yagura nodded as he crossed his arms. "I'm glad you survived, Fiona. I hereby give you a week's leave to rest. After that, you are to return to your duties by my side," he said to both of them. Fu and Midori nodded and bowed.

"You are dismissed," Yagura said, permitting them to leave his chambers, and they did as they were told, shutting the large doors behind them. The elders turned to the Mizukage.

"Is this really okay, Yura?" "They failed a mission to capture the Ninetales." "One of the elders spoke. "Yagura smiled as he sat down in his chair. "I never expected them to even come close to capturing the Ninetales. No, this mission was, how could you put it, a test," he said, linking his fingers together.

"What do you mean, a test?" one of the elders asked.

Yuro looked at the old woman and smiled. "That kid is full of potential. Who knows how strong he could become as he grows? That kind of strength needs to be matured in the right way by battling powerful foes. That's why I give the boy such difficult missions. You could say he intrigues me."

"But why go to so much effort for the boy?" "You know his heritage, don't you?" "That cursed clan should be..." the old man was cut off by Yagura as he raised his hand to silence him.

"Let's just say that I have a plan to make him into our most powerful weapon, perhaps even one day surpassing myself."

Once outside, Fu and Madori parted ways, but before Madori left, he removed his mask so Fu could see his face. "My name is Hatsu Tokaji. I wanted to thank you for saving my life, Captain."

Yuki Fu nodded and smiled at him. "Don't mention it, Hatsu," Fu said as he gave him a wave before he walked out of the Mizukage's building. The mission was over, and once again, he had failed to protect his comrades. Fu walked back to his apartment and drew a bath for him to soak his aching muscles. While he soaked in the warm water, the faces of those he had let down entered his thoughts.

"I was unable to protect them," he said as he splashed his face, trying to rid the faces of his fallen comrades. He sat back and let his body submerge so only his head was sticking out of the water. "At least this time, I was able to save one of them," he said, closing his eyes for a moment. "I swear I will never let my comrades die again."

Chapter 17

"Attack him! You take his left side!" The sound of metal clashed on metal, and the exchange of blows commenced.

"Is that all you have?" Fuuna said as he blocked a flurry of sword strikes before countering with a solid spinning back kick to his opponent's torso, sending him flying. Another attack came from behind, but he had already expected it and allowed his body to grow bones from his back, blocking the slash. He countered with even more bones growing, striking their target hard, knocking him to the ground. Fu had made sure that the ends were flat so they didn't kill him, though. Fu had been assigned to train a new group of Hunter Ninja fresh from their training. He was told not to take it easy on them and even give permission to kill them if he felt they were not worthy of the title. It was ruthless, but it was how things were in the Bloody Mist. It was five on one, and so far, they had not even been able to land a single hit on Fiona. Truth be told, he was starting to get a little bored.

"By us some time!" Two of the team members shouted as they started making hand signs. The other three nodded and charged in, trying to distract Fiona.

"Let's see what you're made of," Fu said as he summoned two ice clones and charged in, zigzagging to mix himself amongst his clones. Two of the Hunter Nin jumped in, attacking with their swords, while the other tried to take Fu from his blindside with a heavy rain of Kai. Fu's clone on the left blocked the first sword strike and grabbed his Hunter ninja around the waist, freezing him to the ground, trapping him.

"That's one down," Foo said with a smile as he fired bone bullets from his fingers, deflecting all of the Kai. To his surprise, though, a Fuma Shuriken was hidden in the shadow of the Kai. Fu smiled as he jumped, spinning in the air, avoiding the massive shuriken. Quickly, he flipped and stuck a bone blade from his hand in the middle of the large shuriken, stopping it in place. Fu picked it up and flung it toward the two who were making hands signs and he charged toward the one who had thrown it.

Meanwhile, Fu's clone on the left had been struck down by his opponent, and the real Fu turned to look at the man, impressed. He watched as the Hunter ninja quickly made a Water Style whip and slapped the large shuriken out of the air, protecting his teammates, allowing them to finish their hand signs. Now, "Fire Style! Wind Style!" Both of the Hunter ninjas who had been preparing their combined Jutsu unleashed it together, sending a twisting, fiery tornado towards Fiona. The others quickly jumped out of the way, apart from the one who was frozen to the ground, and Foo smiled as he quickly bit his thumb, drawing blood, and made his own hand signs.

"Not bad, but not good enough," he shouted as he slapped his hand down on the ground, summoning Jutsu. A huge puff of white smoke disappeared as a huge monstrous horn yeti appeared. The fire tornado was heading right for the beast, but to the Hunter's horror, the beast let loose of a vicious roar, its breath so cold that it put out the fire style and blew the tornado away. The beast stood at 20 ft tall, and its body was huge, covered in thick white fur. Its teeth looked razor sharp, and its horns pointed up like a devil. Its breath was visible in the air, and it snarled, watched the hunter ninja with a killer gaze. Fu jumped, landing on its head, crossing his arms over his chest. The temperature all around them had dropped to below freezing, and the hunter ninjas started shivering from the cold.

"Double we see a can't be t t that thing," one of them said through chattering teeth.

"Foo smiled. "That's enough for you," he said as he released the summoning, the beast disappearing in a puff of white smoke. Fu dropped to the ground, and the temperature around the area started to warm back up. He walked over to one of the hunter ninja who had failed to get clear of the beast's roar, and his body was frozen.

"I guess he didn't have what it takes," Foo said, almost inspecting his summon's handy work. "I almost ended up the same way the first time I met Fuyu," he thought to himself with a little chuckle. He turned to the others and gave a small nod. "Congratulations, the rest of you have passed your final test," he said as he turned his back on them as he walked away. He could hear them whisper amongst themselves, and he couldn't help but hear them say the words "Ice Devil of the Blood Mist."

It had been one year since Fu had clashed blades with Kakashi. He was now 13 years old and in charge of testing new Hunter Ninja for the Mizukage. Of course, he was still sent on missions from time to time, but for the last few months, his mission list had been small. This gave him a lot of free time to train and work on his own abilities. Fu had traveled to the ruins of the Yuki Clan's old village, where he spent the early years of his life. Amongst the ruins, he had discovered old scrolls containing hidden Jutsu, much like the summoning he had just used, along with a few new Jutsu he had never thought of. Fu knew there was so much in this world still yet to be discovered, and he took every chance he could get to get his hands on new Jutsu, adding as much as he could to his arsenal.

A few more weeks passed by, and other than his normal duties, he had little to do. Fu spent most of his free time training alone, trying to better master his abilities. Truth be told, even in his past life, he had always trained. Now that he had such amazing abilities, it made even more sense to hone them as much as possible for this world. Death lurked around every corner, and only one's own strength would save them. More times seemed to pass, and the same routine followed as normal. Sometimes, a few members of his unit would train with him, Hatsu being the most often, ever since Fu had saved his life. Hatsu had followed him with complete loyalty, inspiring it among the new members of Fu's Umu unit as well. His name was becoming more and more infamous with every passing mission. The fact he was still so young made his accomplishments even more impressive, and he was starting to stick out.

One day, Fu was summoned to the Mizukage's office and wasn't told of the details. He made his way there and paid the usual respects by bowing and waiting for permission to enter. To his surprise, the room was filled with all of the Elders of the village along with Yura. It was the full council of the Hidden Mist Village, and Fu had never seen them all in the same room before.

"Enter, F Yuki," one of the elders spoke. Fu entered the large room and stood in the center. All of the council members, including the Mizukage, were sat around a semicircle table, and Fu could feel their hard gaze focusing on him.

"Do you know why you have been summoned?" one of the other elders asked.

"No, my Lord," Fu spoke without hesitation.

Yagura spoke, taking Fu's attention from the elders. "Let's cut to the chase already," he said, clearly irritated by his elder peers. "Fiona, you have been chosen to become the next host of the Six-Tails, one of the two-tailed beasts that we hold." The elders murmured amongst themselves at the interruption from the Mizukage, but let it slide.

Fu was stunned by his words, and it took a moment for them to sink in. "Fiona, did you hear me?" Yagura asked as he repeated himself, getting more irritated.

"Apologies, Lord Mizukage," Fu said, realizing he had not responded to him.

"I will say it again, you have been chosen to be the next host for the Six-Tails." Fu nodded and stayed silent, all the while keeping eye contact with Yura.

"What say you, F Yuki?" one of the elders asked, the others waiting for his answer.

Fu took a moment and nodded again. "It is a great honor to be chosen, my Lord," he said, bowing his head.

"We have chosen you because you show exceptional potential in your abilities as a Blood Mist shinobi. We believe that like Lord Mizukage before you, you too will master the power of the tail beasts, further strengthening our great nation." Fu thought about it for a moment as all of the possibilities started rushing into his head, but there was so little time to think that he was interrupted by Aura again.

"You, like me, will become a Jinchuriki and a weapon for our nation." Fu bowed his head. "Yes, Lord Mizukage," he said in an emotionless voice.

"The summoning ritual will take place tonight at this location. You are to report there for 2000 hours tonight. That is your mission," an elder said, handing him a scroll with the coordinates sealed within.

"This is an S-rank mission. You are to tell no one. Is that understood?" another said, just to clarify the top-secret nature of the sealing of a tailed beast. Fiona nodded once more and remained silent.

"Very well, you are dismissed until then," the head elder spoke as he waved his hands, signaling for him to leave. Fu nodded and used the Body Flicker to disappear from the room as quick as he could, leading the council members to chat amongst themselves.

"Do you really believe he will master the Six-Tails power?" one of the elders asked.

Yuro looked through the list of papers that were placed on the table in front of him. Among them was a list of shinobi who were possible candidates to become the new Six-Tails host. Among them was a boy named Yakana, who was the same age as Fiona. His abilities set him far above the other candidates that are in the same age bracket. He is the clear choice," Yagura spoke as he stood from his chair. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have some preparations to attend to."

Fiona didn't know what to think of what had just happened. He was told he was going to become the Six-Tails Jinchuriki. He had never even considered that this could happen. Hell, he couldn't even remember which one the Six-Tails was. His mind was racing to try to consider every possibility, one of them being the threat of the Akatsuki and that they would one day come for him. "Would I be strong enough to fight them off?" he thought to himself. At the same time, he knew that obtaining the power of a tailed beast would boost his power and abilities to a whole another level, and if he could learn to master its power like Yagura himself, well then his abilities would become extraordinary. Before he knew it, the time had come, and he headed for the secret location where the sealing would take place. Once he arrived, he was met by a small handful of Umu and his reported inside. Once inside, he was greeted by Yagura himself, along with the sealing team, of which Ao was a part of. Fu had not seen him for a long time now, and he smiled at him.

"Well, fancy seeing you here, kid," Ao said, placing his hands on his hips. Fu gave a nervous laugh. "Can't say I thought this would be how we meet again." Ao nodded. "We can talk later. For now, lie on the table over there and take your shirt off." Fu nodded as he walked over to the metal table. He was inside a large cave that ran under the village, and the only source of light was candlelight. Fu laid on the cold table, and Yagura stood next to him.

"Don't worry, Fiona, this won't take long. It might hurt a little though." Fu nodded and stayed silent as he mentally prepared himself for what was about to happen. A large steel pot was carried in by two Umu members and placed next to the table Fu was laid on. It had a large red sealing tag placed on it, and Fu assumed that the Six-Tails was currently sealed in the steel pot.

"All right, sealing team on me! Barrier team, secure the outside!" Yagura ordered. Ao and the other sealing team members gathered around Fiona and the steel pot and started focusing their chakra. They each made several hand signs and suddenly linked hands, forming a chain from the steel pot all the way to Yagura, who placed his hand on the center of Fu's chest.

"Now!" Yagura shouted. The sealing team member who was at the other end of the chain pulled the seal off of the pot, and suddenly a massive chakra forced its way out. The man grabbed the chakra with his bare hand, and all of them started chanting. Fu watched as the massive amount of chakra was absorbed into each of them, passing along the chain until it reached Yagura.

"Sealing Jutsu: Six Pillar Prison Sealing!" he shouted as he pushed all of the chakra into Fu's body. The pain was almost unbearable, and Fu let out a huge cry of burning agony.

"It's not over yet!" Yagura shouted as he forced more chakra into Fu's body. Fu was trying his best to fight the pain, but it was too much to bear, and he could feel his world turning black as he faded into unconsciousness.

Fu woke up slowly as he took in his unfamiliar surroundings. "Where the hell am I?" he said as he looked down at his chest. The sealing mark of the Jutsu was visible but quickly faded into his skin. "Did it work?" he said to himself as he stood up, taking a look around. He was in a dark field covered in snow, with the moon being the only source of light in the sky. He followed the strange snowy path into a small forest where he found a clearing, revealing the Six-Tailed Beast. It was a huge white bipedal slug with stubby arms, feet, and six long tails, each of which was pinned down into the ground by massive black rods connected by chains that stopped it from moving. It has two prominent optical tentacles, eyes, and hoike openings as a mouth. Its entire body covered in a thick slimy substance. The beast was locked in a steel cage formed around six pillars, and it didn't even try to move.

"So this is my new prison," the creature spoke, sounding almost upset. Fu walked closer to the beast, but before he could say anything, he woke up to

Yura's voice. Fiona, wake up! Fiona! he shouted.

As Fu slowly opened his eyes and sat upon the table, the ceiling team all gave a sigh of relief. Even Yura smiled a little. "Looks like the ceiling Jutsu was a success," he said as he crossed his arms.

Fu looked down at his chest again to see the ceiling mark fade as it did in his dream. He looked over to Yura. "Was that real?" he said, seeming confused.

Yagura nodded. "Don't worry, kid. It takes time to get used to it. For now, you need to rest and regain your strength. It looks like the ceiling Jutsu took a lot out of you."

Fu had noticed he still felt a little groggy and agreed with the Mizukage. "The mission is a success. Time to head home and get some rest. Report back to my office tomorrow."

With that, Yagura left the cave and disappeared into the night. All of the others did the same, leaving Fu alone. All except AO. "Just so you know, kid, the life that comes with being a Jinchuriki is not an easy one. I hope you're ready for what comes next. Good luck with that."

AO left the cave, leaving Fiona alone with his thoughts. He stood up slowly and started to make his way back home. Once he arrived at his apartment, he headed to the bathroom and washed his face in the sink. Looking at his face in the mirror, he took in the detailed markings of the Kagaya clan under his eyes and on his forehead. He also noticed his hair had grown a little more, but the thought left his mind as quickly as it had entered.

Walking over to the bedroom, he fell backwards onto the bed, his exhaustion taking a hold of him. And before he knew it, he gave way to the weight of his eyelids as he drifted off into the darkness.

The next day, Fiona awoke feeling great, almost stronger. He finished his morning exercise routine and washed and dressed, reporting to the Mizukage's office. Once there, Yagura asked him how he was feeling and almost seemed glad that he was feeling fine.

"Now, down to business," Yagura spoke, pulling a scroll out. "A document was taken by Kumogakure, Village Hidden in the Clouds. It's an important scroll belonging to the Hidden Mist that can only be translated by our elders. In it lies secret Jutsu passed down by our previous Mizukage." Fu was a little intrigued, and it showed.

Yagura ignored it and carried on speaking. "Iwagakure, Village Hidden in the Stones, are keen to lend their assistance as a form of an olive branch. I have spoken to the Third Tsuchikage, and he is sending a unit to help retrieve the scroll from the Kumogakure forces. I am making you the captain of this mission. Here are the details," he said, handing the scroll to Fiona. "You may enter now."

Yagura spoke, his office doors opened, and three Mist Shinobi entered the room, bowing their heads to the Mizukage and greeting Fu. "This is your team. Swearin, Ganu, and Junai. Meet your captain, Fiona Yuki," Yagura said, leaning back into his chair.

Griu looked Fu up and down before nodding his head. "Pleasure to meet you, Captain." Gamu had dull black hair and dark eyes, and he wore the standard attire of the Kirigakure, inclusive of flak jacket and forehead protector, along with the jade green bangle that he and both his teammates wore. Also, he also carried a large cleaver-like blade strapped to his back.

Next, June Si stepped forward, and even though he towered over Fu, he still paid him respect. "It's a pleasure, Captain. You... my name is Junai." He had long, weighty brown hair that he held in a ponytail with a black hair holder and dark eyes and a strong jawline. He wore the standard attire of the Kirigakure, albeit his outfit had short sleeves along with bandages around his wrists. He too wore a jade green bangle on his wrist.

Last, Swearin walked over to Fu and nodded her head. Fu instantly noticed her beauty and almost felt uncomfortable at how close she was to him. She was taller than him, as he had yet to have his growth spurt. She had brown eyes and long blonde hair with two long strands framing her heart-shaped face and going down to her chest. She wore a pair of turquoise earrings along with the standard attire of the Kirigakure, complete with forehead protector and flak jacket, along with the jade green bangle that was worn by her teammates. "I said, it is a pleasure to meet you, Captain Yuki," she said again.

Fu had failed to hear her the first time, as he was too busy ogling her, and he had to bite his tongue to stop his face from turning red. "Why, yes. Nice to meet you too," Fu managed to spit out. Swearin smiled and stepped backwards into formation with the others.

Yagura cleared his throat and got all of their attention. "Now that you are acquainted with each other, you may leave," he said, not seeming impressed that they were still there. Fu nodded and turned to leave, the others bowing and following him out of the room.

Fu went over the mission with each of them and set a time and a place to meet. They all agreed, and Fu used his body flicker to vanish. The thought was still fresh in his head, and he felt a little silly. He had never noticed girls before, so why now, he asked himself. He tried to shake it off and decided to read through his team's profiles that were provided in the mission details.

Sarin, Griu, and Junai watched Fiona vanish and started walking through the village. "So, that kid is the Ice Devil of the Blood Mist," Junai said, whistling. "He's smaller than I thought he would be," he added on to the end.

Swearin looked at him a little surprised and was cut off by Gonu. "I don't like it. Haven't you heard the stories about that kid? His teammates always die on missions with him. They say he's cursed."

Jun nodded in agreement. "We had better be careful and watch our backs. If he decided to turn on us, I don't think we would stand a chance."

"I thought he seems sweet," Swearin said surprisingly. "Them both. I mean, we are on the same side. He can't be all that bad," she said with a big smile on her face.

Griu aside, "Swearin, you always look for the best in people, sometimes when it's not even there." Getting a laugh from Junai, she turned to face him, her hands crossed behind her lower back. "Her golden hair glowing in the setting sun. I can tell he's not a bad guy. Gonu, I just know it."

Time passed, and night had now set. Fiona was waiting at the meeting point for his new unit to arrive. He wore the standard attire of the Kirigakure, inclusive of flak jacket and forehead protector, something he had not worn in a while. Most of the time, he was adorned in his Kage robes or his own training clothes. It was a nice change to be dressed like a normal ninja and for once, he noticed the arrival of his team and was snapped out of his thoughts.

"Reporting for duty, Captain Yuki," Griu said, nodding his head. Fu jumped down onto the ground from the tree he had been sitting on. He looked at each of them and quickly avoided eye contact with Swearin to avoid blushing, but she smiled at him nevertheless. He quickly turned on his heels to look in the direction they were about to travel and put his hands on his hips. "All right, team. Time to move out."

Chapter 18: Yuga Pass

Fiona and his team made their way across the Land of Water, heading towards a ferry that would cross the sea to the Land of Hot Water. Once there, they would meet with the Hidden Stone forces and enter the Land of Frost on the border to the Land of Lightning. Intel showed that the Hidden Cloud unit that had stolen the scroll had been tracked to a small stronghold in the Land of Frost. It was believed that the Hidden Cloud had been trying to steal secret Jutsu from all of the other villages, and now the Stone had made a deal with the Mist for an alliance.

Fu noticed that the others stayed quiet around him, almost like they were a little wary of him. He had gotten used to it now; his age and reputation tended to do this sort of thing. Swear and still smiled every time Fu looked at her, and he made a mental note that he needed to stop. The other two paid him no notice unless it was about the mission, but Fu decided to keep to himself rather than try to force a conversation.

Once they docked in the Land of Hot Water, Fu gave the order to follow information, and they set off, jumping through the trees at a good speed. The four of them jumped to the ground in a small clearing. Fu took a good look around. "Stay alert. The Clouds aren't far."

Swear stepped forwards with a confident look in her eyes. "Not to worry, we will have help from the Stone from here on out."

"That may be so, but still," Griu said, not fully convinced. "If this mission is a success, then it will show true solidarity between the Stone and Mist," she turned on her heels, her hair blowing in the gentle breeze of the night. "And that way, we will get just, just a little closer to peace," she said with a smile. Junai smiled and crossed his arms, while Griu nodded his head, also smiling.

Fu was impressed to say the least. "Come to think of it, I had never heard anyone speak of peace in such a way, especially anyone from the Blood Mist." She looked into Fiona's eyes and smiled. "That's my wish, and I hope with all my heart that it will come true one day."

Fu could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks and quickly pushed past the others so he was at the front, his back turned to them all. "All right, then," he said, clearing his throat. "Let's rendezvous with the Stone." With that said, he made a move, and the others followed.

As they approached the meeting location with the Stone, they were met by two Hidden Stone Shinobi. They wore the standard red Iwagakure uniform, complete with a red Hidden Stone headband. Their uniform had only one sleeve. Underneath their brown flak jacket, they had red combat trousers on and standard footwear. "Looks like you guys found us all right," one of them said with his arms crossed. "Follow us," the other said, waiting his hand. Fu nodded and looked at the others to follow him.

They followed the Iwa ninja, and they led them to the rest of their group. "Captain, the unit from the Mist has arrived," one of them said, jesting towards Fu and his team. The captain of the Iwa Ninja was a large man who also wore a standard Iwa uniform. However, he had two short sleeves, one on each arm, and a pair of fingerless brown gloves on. His hair was short and messy, and he had a medium-length, scruffy beard.

"It's about time," he said, looking to Fu and his team. "Which one of you is the leader?" he asked, looking at Gonu.

Fu cleared his throat. "That would be me," he said, looking up at the large Iwa ninja. Fu had already scouted out the entire area and counted 11 Iwa Shinobi, all of which looked to be Jonin level. Fu and Gri were the only Genin on his squad, with the other two only being Chunin.

"So, you are the leader, then, eh?" the large man said, looking at Fu for only a second before shrugging it off. "My name is Ubukata Shunko, and I will be leading this operation. Any problems with that?" he said, trying to assert his authority right from the start. Fu could tell Gonu and the others were watching him to see how he reacted, and Fu decided that a small show of force was in order. "I will be leading my own unit, Ubukata, if you don't mind," he said, letting his aura spread, the air becoming colder around them.

Ubukata stared into Fiona's eyes and wasn't sure he liked what he saw. "Very well. It's your call," he said, turning on his heels, going to attend to other matters. Fu smiled and let his chakra settle as he turned to his squad. "I won't let anything happen to you," he said with deadly confidence before smiling at them.

They were called over to hear the plan that Ubuka had come up with for the mission, and so they gathered around while he explained. "Intel showed that a squad of 10 Cloud Shinobi are camped out at these coordinates. They have been traveling non-stop, and our scouts say that they have made camp for the night. Now is the perfect chance to strike." Fu, he said, looking at his unit, "You and your squad will take out the four guards who are on watch. Once you have taken them, I and my men will launch a silent assault, taking the rest out and retreating the scrolls."

Fu nodded in agreement but didn't like the part about the Stone getting the Mist scroll. He wouldn't let that happen. "All right, then, men. Time to move out," he said with a wave of his hand. Everyone stood up, ready for the mission at hand, and followed Ubuka to the mission start point.

They arrived, hiding in the trees, scoping the area out where they could see the Hidden Cloud forces camped out in an old stable with half of its roof missing. Just like Ubukata had said, there were four centuries keeping watch while the others rested inside the stable. Fu looked over to Ubuka, and he gave him the signal to begin. Fu looked to his team and pointed two of his fingers, giving them the signal to move. They each nodded and headed for their intended target, moving silently in the shadows.

Griu drew his large sword and jumped high into the air, piercing the Hidden Cloud Shinobi through his entire body, killing him in an instant. Swearin was quicker than Fu expected and dashed behind her target's back, slitting his throat, leaving no trace that anything had even happened. Junai took his target in a sleeper hold and broke their neck, placing the body on the ground softly, taking a crouching position behind the wall. The Iwa ninja was moving, and now ready to sweep their remaining forces. In one, there was only one sentry left, and out of nowhere, he had decided to turn around, yawning of all things. To his sudden terror at seeing enemy forces moving out of the shadows upon him and his teammates like demons in the night, he was about to let out a scream, but nothing came out of his mouth. Instead, he looked down and noticed blood flowing freely from his neck before he fell to the ground dead. Fu had slit his throat with excellent speed, surprising everyone who witnessed it.

"Now, all that was left was to finish the other units off, but first, I have to find the scroll," Fu thought to himself as he peeked inside the window of the stable. He could see six sleeping figures and made the hand signals to Ubukata, letting him know. He nodded and gave the order. His men quickly rushing and stabbing each of the Cloud Shinobi who were sleeping. It was a slaughter, and none of them stood a chance at such a well-organized ambush. They were all dead, and the Iwa ninja had already started searching them for the scrolls.

"Over here, Captain," one of the Iwa ninjas shouted, and he pulled a scroll from one of the bodies. Fu noticed it wasn't the scroll for the Mist and he started looking around himself before he noticed a bag hidden under some straw. He pulled the bag out, and inside was the Mist scroll along with other equipment. Fu slipped the scroll into his weapons holder around his hip and nodded to the others. "I've recovered the scroll," he said with a small smile.

Ubukata nodded and gave the word. "Mission complete, men. Return to camp." He led his men back to where they had made camp and where Fu and his team had first met them. It was on a large cliff face overlooking a river and hidden by a good tree line. Once everyone arrived back, Ubaka gathered everyone around and gave praise at how smoothly the mission had gone. He walked over to Fiona and extended his hand to shake it. "Here's to the alliance between the Stone and the Mist," he said with a smile on his face.

Fu looked to his teammates and then back to Ubaka. "To our alliance," he said, taking his hand and shaking it. To Swearin's horror, Ubukata suddenly lashed out, slashing Fiona across the throat with a kunai. Swearin screamed, and Griu and Jun Si suddenly jumped back on the defensive. Fiona's body fell to the ground, but to Ubuk and his men's surprise, his body turned to ice. "A clone!" Ubukata shouted, confused.

But when Swearin was also surprised and was suddenly pulled to safety by Griu. "Watch out, it's going to blow!" he said as he grabbed her, pulling her behind a large rock for cover. The ice clone exploded, sending razor-sharp icicles scattering in every direction, taking out a small few who had not been expecting it. Ubukata had managed to avoid the counterattack and signaled for his men to attack the Mist Shinobi. The Iwa ninja charged, ready to use their numbers to overwhelm Fu's Squad.

Griu drew his sword and charged, ready for battle. "Stay back, Swearin," he shouted as he clashed with one of the Iwa ninjas. Jun Site also charged in, exchanging in a Taijutsu match with one of the Iwa men, but he was quickly pressed back as he was attacked from both sides. He blocked the punch and slipped another, but a roundhouse landed to his leg from the left, and then another hit him to the body from the right, sending him crashing to the ground hard. One of the Iwa was about to finish him, and the other two charged at Swearin, drawing kunai, ready for the kill. She pulled her own out, but things weren't looking good.

Suddenly, the two men that were charging towards Swearin were riddled by holes and they fell to the floor dead. Fu appeared, blocking the finishing blow that was intended for Junai with his hand. The Iwa ninja was taken back but tried to counterattack with his free hand. Fu swiped his arm so fast that the Iwa ninja didn't even see the attack and instead dropped to the floor dead. Griu noticed what had happened and pushed his opponent away, quickly retreating back to Fu's side. "Nice of you to join us, Captain," he said. Fu smiled. "I had a bad feeling about these guys from the start."

Ubukata was outraged at the loss of five of his men in an instant and extended his arm to Fu. "Give us the scroll, and I will let your teammates live," he said, clearly enraged. Fu spat on the ground. "Just one question: why betray us?" It was silent for a moment before Ubuka spoke. "Orders from above, you know the drill," he said bluntly.

"I thought the Stone wanted an alliance with the Mist!" Swearin shouted, clearly upset. "This was our chance at creating peace between our nations! Why would you do this?"

"The Stone can't be trusted!" Sworn Griu shouted as he tightened his grip around his sword's handle. Swearin shook her head. "No, I know that one day we will achieve peace."

"Be quiet, little girl!" Ubukata shouted as he made his hand signs extremely quickly. "Earth Style: Landslide Jutsu!" he shouted as he slammed his hands onto the ground. The edge of the cliff that Swearin was stood on started shaking and suddenly collapsed as the earth beneath it gave way. "Swearin!" Griu shouted, reaching a hand for her, but to no avail. Swearin screamed as she started falling, knowing that she wouldn't survive the fall.

Fu quickly darted through the air, catching her. "Hold on!" he shouted as he made a few quick hand signs as he grabbed her around her waist. Free falling, an ice mirror formed in the air where they were falling, and the next thing Swearin knew, they were back on the cliff she had just fallen from as they slipped out of a second mirror.

"What in the attack, men!" Ubukata shouted, pissed that his plan had failed. Fu placed Swearin down and turned to face the enemy. "Take care of Junai," he said as he moved so fast it looked like he disappeared. Gonre exchanged blows with two of the Iwa ninja and sliced one of them down the chest, landing a massive blow. The other one was able to land a punch to his face, stunning him, and went for the killing blows, slashing at his throat. Griu managed to dodge the attack at the last moment, and the two of them clashed in a flurry of blades.

Fu charged at three of the Iwa forces that stood between him and Ubana. Each of them had their kunai drawn, and two of them tried to flank Fu on either side. "I don't have time for this," Fu shouted as he extended his arms, bones springing out of his body, impaling two of the Iwa Ninja, killing them on the spot. The last one was so scared of how Fu looked that he almost fell to the ground from his legs shaking so much. Fu had allowed his bones to grow all over and sprouted two horns on his head for effect. His chakra turned the air around him cold, and his form became demonic. "I, I, it's him!" the Iwa ninja shouted. He quickly scrambled and started to run away, but before he could even reach the tree line, Ubukata smashed him into the ground, killing him in one blow.

He stood slowly and looked at Fiona. "So, you are the Ice Devil of the Blood Mist. I'm surprised I didn't recognize you earlier. After all, your picture is in the Bingo Book," he said, cracking his knuckles. "And to think you're just a brat. If I take you down, my name will become famous."

Fu looked over to Gonu, who had just finished off the last Iwa Ninja, leaving just Ubuka. Fu turned his head slightly to look at Swearin, and the look on her face was what he expected. "Time to finish the lot of you!" Ubukata shouted as he hit the ground with both of his hands. "Earth Style: Massive Shockwave Jutsu!" he shouted as the earth all around them crumbled as if it had just been hit by a massive earthquake. Swearin was knocked flying along with Junai, but there was nothing Fu could do to help them as huge chunks of rocks were flying at him from all over, and it took all his focus to dodge them.

Gonu appeared behind Ubuka, his sword raised for an attack. Ubuka was able to avoid it and stepped on the back of Gonry, snapping it in two. Quickly, he spun around, slamming a spinning back kick into Gonry, but he was able to block it at the last second. Ubukata sidestepped and smashed his fist into Gon's liver, knocking the wind out of him, bringing his guard down. "Eat this!" he shouted as he jumped back, making hand signs. The rocks around Griu suddenly smashing into his body from all sides, doing heavy damage.

Fu had recovered and quickly pressed the attack to Ubuka, spinning and flipping, using his body as a weapon. Ubuka jumped backwards, trying to use the same Jutsu that he had just used on Gonu, but Fu was too fast. Quickly using wind style enhanced chakra on his feet, he was able to increase his speed, darting out of the way, forming hand signs. He let loose a Water Style, hitting Ubukana and slamming him against a rock, leaving him winded. "Why you, wel..." he shouted. Foo swiped his hand, firing his bone fingertips into the ground. He had enhanced them with lightning style chakra, and when they hit the water, Ubukana was electrocuted, letting out a scream of pain before he fell to his knees, smoke raising off his body.

Fu walked over to him and cued his chin in his hands. "You will take this message back to your superiors for me. Tell them that the Mist rejects the Stone's Alliance." He let go of his chin, dropping him to the floor, and took the other scroll from his pocket, placing it in his own. Fu knocked Ubukata out with a quick chop to the neck and allowed his bones to retract into his skin. He walked over to Gonu, who was pretty badly hurt, and helped him up, carrying him over to the others who were also in bad shape.

"Are you all right, Swearin?" Fu asked as he put Gria down next to Junai, who was also unconscious. She nodded rather quickly and then looked at the floor, feeling a little awkward. Fu was used to it, as his abilities often received this effect. "You saved me. You saved us," she said softly, looking back up at Fiona. He looked into her eyes and smiled. "I don't ever want to see my comrades die again, and I will do anything to protect them."

Swearin stared at him, mesmerized by his words. Foo stood up and looked at the damaged terrain. "We should get out of here as soon as we can. More enemies could show up at any time," he said, checking the area out. Saren snapped out of her trance and nodded. "Why, yes, Captain. You're right."

After a little while, Jansi woke up, and he, along with Fu, was able to carry Gri back to the dock where their ship was. As they sailed across the Misty Sea, Junai asked Saren what had happened after he had been knocked out. Sarin told him the details of how Fiona saved them and killed the enemy Iwa Shinobi. Junai was impressed to say the least. "Well, I guess now I know why they call him that."

Once they arrived back to the Land of Water, Griu had woken up but still needed help. Fu and Junai got into the hospital once arriving back at the village, and Fu and the others reported to the Mizukage's office. Once inside, Fu handed over the scroll and reported the details of the mission. Yagura was clearly angry at the betrayal of the Hidden Stone, but then waved it off as Foo's team had suffered no losses. "I knew I could count on you," he said, placing his hands on his desk. "Leave this matter to me. I'm sure that such a Tsuchikage won't be pleased that his men were wiped out so easily." "That old fool," he said with a sigh. "You are dismissed, Foo. You are to report to me tomorrow. As for you two, you are dismissed. Report to your unit Commander." They all bowed and left the Mizukage's office together.

Once outside, Fu decided it was time to bid the others farewell. Swearin stepped up to him, grabbing his hand in hers. "Please, Captain Yuki, I want you to have this," she said as she placed her green bangle around his wrist. "Please accept this gift for saving our lives," she said as she kissed him on the cheek. This time, Foo's cheeks went red for sure, and he looked very surprised. Sarin walked away with a smile on her face and waved goodbye. Junai bowed his head in respect and also bid him farewell, following after her. Fu placed his hand on his cheek and then watched as the two of them walked off into the village, disappearing into the ever-present mist for which it was named.

Fu suddenly felt a heavy presence from behind him and turned to face who was giving it off. It was Zabuza. Fu couldn't remember the last time he had seen him, and he looked very similar to how he looked in the anime, just younger. "Well, well, if it isn't the Ice Devil of the Mist," Zabuza said, almost like he was teasing him. Fu gave a small laugh. "It's been a while, Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist," Fu said, looking into his eyes. "I heard you had a scuffle with the Leaf." "Apparently, that's what everyone is calling you now," Zabuza scoffed and barged past him, his hands in his pockets. "Don't go getting soft on the Yuki," he said as he too vanished into the Mist, leaving Fiona alone.

Fu pulled out the scroll he had taken off of Ubukata's body after he knocked him out. Opening it up and reading it, Fu could see that it was a scroll, information on sealing Jutsu, also known as Fuinjutsu. "Well, this could certainly come in handy," he said as he resealed the scroll and made his way back home.

Chapter 19

Fiona had returned home after his little exchange with Zabuza and focused on the scroll he had acquired from the Hidden Stone. Most of it was written in code, but from what he could make out at first glance, it was all secret sealing Jutsu. Fiona worked hard all night, trying his best to decode the Jutsu formula, even working into the early hours of the morning. Studying a scroll this hard brought back memories of when he had discovered secret Jutsu from the abandoned Yuki Village. He returned to his home village now and again. The last time he had stumbled on a secret underground shrine located under his grandfather's house. As far as Fiona knew, he was the last living member of the Yuki Clan. The other survivors had fled the village when it came under attack, leaving it a ghost. The shrine he had found contained much text about the Yuki Clan's history. It also gave detail into secret Jutsu that was passed down from generation to generation, one of which was the Crystalized Mirrors, however, he had already figured out that one himself, also improving on it significantly. Other texts showed more interesting Jutsu used by the clan. Of course, none of it was written in code, as to use the Jutsu, one needed to possess the Kigan Kai. It was there that Fiona had also discovered the secret summoning Jutsu of the Yuki Clan. Fiona knew there were many creatures scattered around the world that Shinobi could form a pact with and use them to summon in battle. The most famous being the toads, for which Naruto was famous.

Fiona was snapped back to reality by the sound of the whistling kettle that he had left on the hob to boil. Getting up, he poured himself a cup of tea and sat back down, placing the tea on his little table next to the scroll. Fiona decided to rest his head on the table, taking a break, letting the memories play over in his head.

Flashback. It all started when Fiona had decided to use some of his time off missions to revisit his old home. Fiona had traveled to the hidden location of the Yuki Clan's old village, high up in the mountains. Most of the buildings had been burned down. What remained of the village was a wreck. Fu walked, leaving his footprints in the fresh snow, stopping when he came to his old home. The memories of his mother from this world causing him to give a soft smile. The last time he had seen her was before he was taken away to the Hidden Mist. He decided not to linger for too long and proceeded to the main hall where his grandfather had lived.

"Shimo Yuki," Fiona said, his breath visible in the cold air. The large house was still standing for the most part. Fiona pushed the large doors open, gaining entry to the main hall. He took a moment before he stepped inside, remembering the last time he had entered this place. Fiona made his way through the large hall and came upon the garden where he had first discovered his abilities. Walking over to the edge, he could see his younger self stopping Shima's attack, clear as day. The image playing over in his mind. He turned, noticing a draft coming from the broken door leading to a staircase. Funna decided to follow the steps down until he came to a door that had been sealed in a thick layer of ice. Fiona examined the door and placed his hand upon the ice. It turned out only a member of the Yuki Clan could unseal the doorway. Fiona allowed his chakra to flow into the ice, molding it, and unsealed the door. He then opened the doorway carefully in case it was booby-trapped. However, there appeared to be no such danger.

Once inside, Fiona could see that the room had been untouched. Cobwebs scattered around, and dust lay at top everything. It was a shrine of some kind. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with scrolls and text Fiona guessed were secrets to the clan. The room was dark, and so Fiona created a few makeshift torches out of some wood and old cloth material he could find, setting them on fire in each corner of the room so he could see a little better. Fiona decided to start scanning through the scrolls and texts that littered the shelves. Through them, he discovered the clan's history, spanning back generations to a time before they joined with the First Mizukage. "Wow, so the Yuki Clan helped form the the Land of Water along with the First Mizukage," Fiona said, impressed. The scrolls then went on to state who the clan leaders were and who they had passed down the title to, down to Shimo himself. After his name, it was blank, as he had never chosen a successor and had been killed in the war. Fus skimmed through more scrolls, discovering hidden clan Jutsu, one of which was the Crystal I Mirrors. The level of detail was impressive and gave no hint of how to counter the Jutsu, only how to use it. More interesting Jutsu was listed, such as how to use one-handed hand signs to form and mold the moisture in the air, turning it into ice. Next was weapon styles, followed by Taijutsu's implementation, followed by Mor Jutsu. Fiona had already figured out by himself, however, the next Jutsu on the list caught his eye. "Summoning Jutsu," Fiona said out loud. He read the scroll, paying more attention to the summoning Jutsu information, reading it out loud.

"The Secret Summoning Jutsu of the Yuki Clan. Long ago, the Yuki Clan formed a pact with the mighty Horned Yeti of the North, allowing them to summon the beast to aid them in battle. However, only the most potent and gifted members of the clan could tame one of the creatures." The scroll went on in detail as to how one was able to form a contract with the Horned Yeti. "To form a contract, one must perform the reverse summoning Jutsu listed and then battle one of the beasts until it submits. Be where the Horned Yeti are powerful and very prideful, they are not tamed easily." Fiona finished reading. He placed the scroll down, looking at the hand signs provided to perform the reverse summoning Jutsu. "My own summoning Jutsu could come in very handy. This could prove to be very interesting," Fiona said as he bit his thumb, drawing blood, quickly making the hand signs with ease. He slammed his hand down onto the ground, saying the words, "Reverse Summoning Jutsu!" Fiona shouted as he vanished in a poof of smoke.

Fiona found himself surrounded by large fields of snow, his vision obscured by the never-ending blizzard that seemed to surround his surroundings. Fiona pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, trying to stop the snow hitting his face so he could see a little better. "Looks like I have been transported to wherever these Horned Yeti live," Fiona said, trying to take in his surroundings as best he could. Fiona could make out a large cave in the distance and decided that was his best bet to escape the blizzard. He pulled his short legs out of the snow and force-marched through the thick white terrain until he reached the cave entrance. It was massive. Icicles hung from the entrance, and most of the walls were frozen, covered by ice. Fiona shivered as he shook the snow from his cloak, letting it fall to the ground. "Maybe I should get a fire going," he said, rubbing his hands together. He may have been a member of the Yuki Clan, meaning he had increased resistance to the cold, but he wasn't completely immune to it.

A gigantic roar echoed from inside the cave, causing the small hairs along Fila's back to stand on edge. "What was that?" he said, turning to take a peek out of the darkness. A massive white beast appeared, hulking over Fiona as its hot breath burned the cold air. Its body was covered by thick white fur, lining its large muscle mass. It had two large horns on top of its head and razor-sharp fangs to match. The beast was easily 20 feet tall, towering over Fiona. The yeti seemed to be examining Fiona with its bright blue eyes, almost piercing into his very soul. Fiona decided not to move, and that waiting to see what the yeti did first was the best plan. The beast roared, creating a shockwave with its breath alone. The floor started to freeze almost instantly, traveling towards Fiona at an alarming rate. Fiona quickly made a few hand signs and deflected the ice with his chakra. The ice split around where he stood, giving him no reason to panic. The yeti smiled and crouched down to take a better look at Fiona.

"It has been a long time since a member of the Yuki Clan came here," the yeti spoke in a deep voice. Filo was surprised to say the least. He decided to pull his head down and respond accordingly. "My name is Fiona Yuki," the yeti nodded its head. "I am Fuyu. Fuyu means winter," it responded. "Tell me, little Yuki, why have you come here?" it asked. Fiona smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. "I have come to form a contract with the Horned Yeti." The yeti laughed hard before it spoke, "Are you not a little young to come here, child? The last of your clan who was able to force a contract with my kind was Shimo Yuki. I watched him die." Fiona was surprised to hear his grandfather's name but didn't show it. "Shimo was my grandfather," Fiona spoke. The yeti raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Is that so? I expected another of your clan to come after his death, but none ever came. Tell me, why did they send a child?" Fiona didn't show any emotion as he spoke. "The Yuki Clan are all dead. I am the only one left. I discovered the scroll that led me here to this place, and I intend to form a contract with your kind." The yeti stood to its full height, towering over Fiona. "Is that so?" the Beast said, sharpening its claws on one side of the cave wall. "You think a child like you can tame me? Not as young as you ever set foot here, not since the first of your clan." The yeti did the same with its other hand, sharpening its claws on the cave wall, grinding them until they were razor sharp. "There is only one way that a Horned Yeti will forge a contract with a human. You must defeat me in battle," the Beast said, inspecting its claws. Fiona gulped as he couldn't help notice that the Yeti's claws were almost the same size as his entire body. "I thought it might come to that. I won't lose," he said, taking a ready stance. The yeti laughed as it too got ready to battle. "I won't hold back, Yuki child. I hope you are prepared to die here as the last of your clan."

The Beast roared as it sprang into action. The yeti moved fast for its size and took a swipe at Fiona, each of its razor-sharp claws ready to slash into ribbons. Fiona too sprang to life as he was expecting a frontal assault by the monster, leaping high into the air. Fiona avoided the fist attack, landing on the Yeti's arm. Fuu tried to use its other large hand to crush Fiona, but he was too fast for the Beast. Using his wind style to enhance his body flicker, Fiona was able to dart up to Fuu's face and plant a solid right cross into the Yeti's eye. The Beast groaned in pain as it flailed about, clutching at its left eye. "Why you!" Fuyu yelled and raged. Fiona landed back onto the ground, quickly forming hand signs, not wasting any time. "You shouldn't underestimate your opponent based on his size!" Fiona shouted as he finished making his hand signs. "Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!" Suddenly, all of the moisture in the air started to turn into water, twisting violently in front of Fiona's body as the amount began to increase more and more. The massive amount of water started to surge and rise high into the air, forming a gigantic tidal wave. The wave crashed down into the yeti, twisting violently, trying to pull the massive beast under its weight. To Fu's surprise, Fuyu was able to resist the powerful Jutsu, giving a roar that turned the water into solid ice, freezing it in an instant. Fuyu swung its mighty fists, crashing through the ice with ease, sending projectiles colliding around the cave, causing it to rumble and shake. Filo was forced to retreat and decided that getting out of the confined space of the cave would be safer. Quickly, he dashed, avoiding the projectiles of ice and rock that were flying his way, jumping, ducking, and spinning, doing whatever it took to avoid being crushed.

"Not so fast, brat!" Fuyu shouted as it slapped its hand down onto the floor, causing a thick layer of ice to rise, blocking the exit to the cave. Fiona was moving fast and had little time to react. He had to move quickly or the collapse of the cave would crush him. Jumping onto the side of the wall, channeling his chakra to his feet to run alongside it, he started forming hand signs. Fuyu jumped, slamming its fist into the wall, trying to crush Fiona, but he was too slow. Fiona was using all of his speed to avoid the massive of Yeti that was trying to destroy him. The mental focus required was incredible, as every time the yeti hit the wall, it sent vibrations through it, changing the amount of chakra necessary to stick to the wall without falling. Along with that, Fiona was still doing his best to avoid falling debris and form hand signs at the same time. A crystal ice mirror formed not too far in the distance. Luckily, he could see through the ice wall and created a connecting mirror that would allow him to escape to the outside.

Fuyu noticed the ice mirror form, and he recognized the technique. "Ah, yes, the Crystal Ice Mirrors of the Yuki Clan. What do you expect to do with just one, boy?" the yeti roared, picking up a chunk of rock and throwing it, aiming at the ice mirror. Fiona noticed the projectile rushing towards him and quickly slipped inside the mirror at the last second before the massive boulder hit it, shattering it on impact. "Got you!" the yeti shouted as he took a good look around, trying to find where Fiona had gone. Fiona slipped out of the mirror outside of the cave entrance and rolled hard onto the snow. "That was a close one," he said as he released the ice mirror Jutsu, letting it turn to snow, falling into the ground. He took a large breath and turned to look at the ice blocking the cave entrance. "I wonder how long it will take him to notice I escaped," Fiona said with a small grin. "I need to come up with a plan to beat him. He's powerful to withstand my Giant Vortex Jutsu like that. It looks like ice style won't work either. I guess that leaves me with only one option."

Fuyu looked around frantically, searching for Fiona. "Where did that brat go?" he said, searching all over for him. "His scent has even vanished. How did he...?" Fuyu said as he noticed a small human shape reflecting through the ice barrier he had formed to stop Fiona from escaping. "He's outside! How did he...?" Fuyu said, he was pissed now and charged towards the ice doorway, crashing through it like glass. Fiona watched as the yeti crashed through the ice, joining him outside in the snow. "Looks like he found me," Fiona said, looking a little worried. "You won't get away that easy!" Fuyu yelled, crashing its fists into the snow. Fuyu opened its mouth wide and fired a massive breath-based attack at Fiona. Its breath froze everything it touched, and it was heading towards Fiona too, too fast for him to dodge. Fiona jumped back into the air, but he was unable to avoid the ice breath as it froze his body in an instant. Fuyu watched as Fiona dropped to the frozen snow, stiff. "It's over, little Yuki. You lose," it said, standing over Fiona's body.

"What's over?" Fiona shouted, taking Fuyu by surprise from behind. "What a clone!" the yeti shouted, turning in surprise. Fiona landed on the Yeti's back and stabbed a bone blade into the base of its skull, getting a yell from the yeti. "Take this!" Fiona yelled as he channeled his chakra into his bone blade. Suddenly, Fu's body erupted with lightning style chakra, causing the Beast to wriggle as electricity coursed through its entire body. Fuyu screamed in agony as it was unable to move until Fila let the flow of chakra cease, letting Fuyu drop down onto its hands and knees, its first standing on and scorched from the lightning style. Fila jumped off, flipping over Fuyu's head, landing in front of his face. Standing, he tossed the bone blade into the ground as he looked Fuyu in the eyes. "Do you give up?"

Fuyu breathed hard as he struggled to catch his breath. "I have not been bested since I met Shimo. You are indeed his grandson. I submit." Fiona breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I was running, running low on chakra," he said with a grin. Fuyu watched Fiona with interest as he slowly rose back to his feet. "This child is very interesting," he thought. Fuyu placed his massive hands together, summoning a scroll, tossing it to Fiona. "That scroll is my sign of a pact with you, little Yuki. You have proven yourself."

To me, and I agree to a contract with you. Sign the scroll, and I will answer your summons when you so command it.

Fiona looked at the scroll and could see the names that came before, one of which was Shimo. "Very well," Fiona said, as he bit his thumb, drawing blood so he could sign his name. He looked up with a smile. "I look forward to working with you."

Fuyu Fuu also smiled. "Meet a child."

Fiona turned around, taking a look at his surroundings. "Once more, by the way, how do I get out of here?"

Fila said with a slight chuckle and a flashback. Fiona woke up, ending the dream he was having of how he met Fuyu. He looked at the clock on the wall and noticed he had been sleeping for a few hours now. He looked at the cup of tea he had made and took a sip. "Cold tea," he said, placing the cup back on the table. "Oh yeah, I was reading this scroll and decided to rest my eyes for a while. Guess I fell asleep."

Fila stood up and stretched, raising his arms high into the air, yawning as he did. "Well, I guess I should get back to it," he said, taking a seat as he picked up the scroll to start rereading it.

Fiona gave a small chuckle as he placed the scroll down. "I know what I have to do," he said, as he crossed his legs, taking a meditation position. "I guess I have put it off for long enough already."

Fiona concentrated as he allowed his consciousness to drift. He slowed his breathing, letting his heart rate drop low until his mind was as clear as a blank piece of paper. After a little while, Fiona opened his eyes and stood to his feet. "I think it's time we got to know one another."

***

**Six Tales: Chapter 20**

Fiona stood face to face with the Six Tales, the giant slug-like creature trapped inside of its ceiling prison, unable to move freely. "I think it's time we got to know each other's," Six Tales said, as he had managed to enter his inner psyche, now coming face to face with the tail beast. It was certainly different from how Naruto looked in the anime. Fil's surroundings reminded him of his home village. Snow and trees surrounded them, dimly lit by the full moon glow in the night sky above.

"Why do you speak to me?" the Six Tales asked.

Fiona took a moment, thinking about how he should respond. "Tell me, Six Tales, what would you do if... if I set you free?" Fiona asked.

There was a moment of silence before the tail beast spoke. Fiona waited patiently for its response. "No human has ever asked such a question," it spoke softly. "It matters not. Your kind would simply capture me again. You are all the same."

Fer remained silent, walking around as he examined the seal that enveloped the beast. The Six Tales watched him with interest as Fiona walked around. It could sense no fear coming from him, which was unusual among humans.

"It must be hard being trapped in one place to the next," Fiona said, as he sat on the floor in front of the beast.

"You see me as a weapon, nothing more," it spoke with a little malice in its voice. Fila could understand, in fact, he knew better than most, but he was determined to tame the Six Tales.

"Let's start nice and easy. Tell... tell me your name. You do have one, don't you?" Fiona asked, trying to get the Six Tales to let its guard down.

"My name? You want to know my name?" it asked, confused. "No human has ever asked for my name."

Fiona gave a smile. "I'm not like most people."

The Six Tales looked at him strangely before it nodded. "My name is Saen," the Six Tales spoke.

"Good to meet you. And my name is Fiona. Fiona Yuki."

With that, Fiona decided to open his eyes, exiting from his inner psyche. He knew it would be best not to rush things. If he wanted to master the Six Tales' powers, it would be a long process and not something that would happen overnight.

***

The next few days passed by with Fiona having some time off his duties, so he decided to spend his time training. He trained mostly by himself, focusing on every aspect. First was his morning routine, consisting of strength exercises and stretches. Next was Taijutsu practice. Fiona would spend hours perfecting his Taijutsu abilities because his Sharingan abilities were mainly useful when combined with Taijutsu. Fiona would focus on his body's agility and speed, spinning and weaving in and around his imaginary opponents, flipping and springing off his hands and feet. Fiona aimed to master his body to forge it into a deadly weapon. It was a beautiful dance of death as bones darted out all over his body, letting him spin, attacking with another part of his body as if a never-ending assault of combinations.

Fiona was panting hard, sweat dripping from his body as the midday sun scorched the ground. It was an unusually hot day today, and the increased heat made Fiona sweat more than usual. He had even taken his training vest off, leaving his small yet muscular body exposed. Planting his hand into the ground, using it to spin his entire body around rapidly, he flipped, rolling onto the floor before using his other hand to turn his body more and more bones shooting out one after the other before he executed a perfect butterfly kick, landing in his fighting pose, exhaling hard.

"I think that's enough Taijutsu practice," he said, wiping the sweat off his face with a towel he had next to his things on the floor. It had been 3 weeks since the Six Tales had been sealed inside of him. Since then, he had noticed his energy levels had increased along with his recovery rate. Fiona took a drink of water from his bottle and placed it back on the floor. It certainly wasn't a bad thing having more energy reserves.

Next was Ninjutsu practice. Fiona was looking forward to testing out a few new Jutsu he had been working on. Fila made the hand signs with ease. Two large ice swords started to appear, the ice forming from the moisture in the air, one growing in each of his hands. "Ice Style: Dancing Blades," he said, as he tossed each of the blades into the air. Each blade started to dance around Fiona's body as if they were possessed, moving in perfect rhythm.

"Now to test it out," Fiona said, as he grasped two handfuls of shuriken. Fiona tossed them into the air as hard as he could before he quickly made a few hand signs. "Wind Style: Reverse Current!" he shouted. A large gust of wind stopped the stream of shuriken, madir, forcing them to come flying back, aimed at F himself.

"Here we go!" The shuriken rained down on Fiona, one after the other, but none of them could touch him. Each of the ice swords danced around him, deflecting the shuriken, one after the other, until there were no more. Fiona stood with his arms crossed and smiled before releasing the Jutsu. "It certainly takes a lot of chakra control. My current limit is only two blades," he said, a faint memory of the first time he tried to use this Jutsu popping into his head. He laughed, remembering getting stabbed with a couple of shuriken before he sat down.

Fiona focused his chakra, placing his hands together until the air around him grew cold. The grass below him started to freeze as he continued to focus, his breath visible in the cold air. Fiona slowly made a couple of hand signs. Three ice clones started to form and stood around Fiona, one a little further away than the other. Fiona made a few more hand signs, this time unique to the Yuki Clan. His eyes quickly snapped open as he finished the Jutsu. "Ice Style: Flash Freeze!" he shouted, letting his chakra explode around him. Everything up to the second clone was instantly frozen, even the particles in the air. Fiona let out a sigh and stood up slowly, allowing his clones to disappear and his Jutsu to fade, letting the ice melt away as if it were never there. "I need to be able to expend more chakra to cover a greater distance, something I can work on," Fiona said, as he picked up his water, trying to take another sip before he realized it was frozen solid. Fiona laughed as he turned the ice back into water so he could drink it.

"Just one more thing I want to test," Fiona said, placing the water back down, making a few hand signs. One again, two ice clones formed and took their positions as Fiona instructed. Each clone started to grow bones out of their arms, interlocking until it looked like each was holding a thick white shield. Fiona nodded with a smile. "All right, then."

Fiona crossed both of his arms, his hands and fingers spread in front of his face. Suddenly, he fired two lots of bone bullets from each of his fingertips, aiming at the shields of each clone. Of course, the bone bullets hit the shields and bounced off, having no effects. He took the same pose and this time channeled his chakra, firing another set, each at the clones. One of the clones was suddenly shredded apart as the bone bullets ripped through the shield and the clone's body. The other bone bullets hit the shield, seeming to do nothing for a moment. Swiftly, the shield started to become enveloped in ice, and it froze. The ice quickly spreading, freezing the entire clone's body in an instant. Fiona had enhanced one set of bone bullets with his lightning style, giving them increased piercing and destructive power. The other set had been enhanced with ice style chakra. Anything they touched would freeze almost instantly.

"Looks like I'm starting to get the hang of that," Fiona said. It had taken a lot of practice to mix his lightning Style with his Shakuton abilities. Now that he had mastered the required chakra control, Fiona had started to experiment with its applications more and more. Fiona spent a little more time practicing other Jutsu, always trying to better himself or think of different ways he could use his abilities. Now that his Ninjutsu practice was over, there was only one thing left to try.

Over the last couple of days, Fiona had engaged in conversation with Saen, the Six Tales that was sealed inside of him. Each time, he had gotten to know something more about Saen until yesterday.

***

**Flashback**

"So, Saen, I was wondering if I could ask you something," Fiona said.

The Six Tales looked at him, deciding to agree. "What is it you want to know, Fiona?" it asked.

"I was wondering if you would agree to lend me your power. You see, there are things I want to achieve, things I will need your power for in the future," Fiona said, speaking the truth.

Saen didn't say anything at first, instead taking time to think about what Fiona had said. "You have indeed been kind to me, Fiona Yuki. Kinder than any host I have had before you. The power of us tailed beasts has always been sought by humans ever since we were created. How are you any different than them?"

Fiona remained silent for a moment. "I know about this age of Six Paths, how he created you from the tailed beasts, setting you free before his death."

Saen was seriously shocked by what Fiona just said. "How do you know that?" Saen asked, confused.

"I told you, I'm not like other people," Fiona said, as he placed his hand on the seal that kept the Six Tales confined. "Maybe this will help convince you," he said, releasing it about halfway. Fiona was able to figure out the sealing Jutsu that had been used by the Mizukage thanks to the scroll he had gotten his hands on. His understanding of Fuinjutsu had increased drastically, enabling him to create his own key to fit the seal.

"I know with the seal only half as strong, you could break out and try to take over my body," Fiona said, looking Saen in the eye. "I don't want to use you as a weapon. I... I want you to be my ally and lend me your power. What say you?"

Saen was stuck between two choices. It could break free of the sealing Jutsu and attack Fiona, attempting to take over his body and gain his freedom, or it could allow Fiona control of its power, helping him achieve his goals. Saen had a flashback to when the Sage of Six Paths was giving him and the other Tailed Beast his final goodbye.

"I will not live much longer," the Sage said, addressing each of the tailed beasts by name. "Remember, even if you are far apart, you will always be together, for you are all linked." The tailed beasts were all sad, each crying over the sight of their dying father. "Know that one day you will be joined back together. One shall appear to show you what true power is." Before that time, the Sage said with a smile on his face, his last words to all of them.

***

**Flashback**

Saen could feel that Fiona was not evil. In fact, Saen knew he was different from all the others he had encountered before. "Very well," it said softly.

Fiona raised an eyebrow as he didn't quite hear what Saen had said. "Very well, Fiona Yuki. I permit you to use my power as you see fit. I will help you achieve your goals as an ally."

"All right!" Fiona yelled out in happiness. Fiona walked over to the seal and placed his hand on it, this time fully releasing the seal, completely freeing the Six Tales from its confinement.

"It's not much, but I hope it helps," Fiona said, extending his fists to the Six Tales.

Saen took a moment before it smiled and extended its own hand, tapping F's fist with its own. "Is this the one you meant, father?" Saen thought as he watched Fiona.

"I guess I will have to train hard to control your power, Saen, but with your help, we will become strong enough to make a difference," Fiona said, as he turned around, placing his hands on his hips.

Saen nodded, looking down at Fiona. The image of the Sage of Six Paths reflected off a figure, causing Saen to smile.

***

**Flashback**

Fiona sat on the floor, focusing hard, getting his breathing under control as a red cloak of chakra flowed from his body, surrounding him, forming one tail on his back. Fiona had been trying each day to use just a little of Saen's powers. It certainly made things easier that Saen was willing to help and lend his aid, which made using his power all that more comfortable. Fiona focused harder and allowed another two tails to form on his back, quickly making a couple of hand signs. Three ice clones appeared, all taking a battle-ready position.

"Here we go," he said, as all three clones jumped in for the attack. Each one attacked with all of its strength, using all of Fiona's abilities to try and take him down. Fiona had noticed one of the first things this form gave him was an increase in speed and strength. It was allowing him to move faster than he could typically, which was already pretty fast. His physical strength was also enhanced, allowing his Taijutsu to become even more deadly. Two clones attacked from either side, while the last rushed down the center line as quickly as it could. Each was using wind style to enhance their movements, and they weren't pulling any punches. The clones on the left and right attacked using bones as weapons, each one going high and then low, striking at all angles. The clone in the center stopped dead and started to form rapid hand signs, creating ice mirrors all around Fiona, trapping him.

The real Fiona was dodging and parrying every attack they threw at him. Thanks to his enhanced abilities, including his reaction speed, he was able to fight both of them without any real problems. Jumping, he avoided a sweep at his left leg while another attacked came for his head from the right. It was a lightning-enhanced bone blade that could do some damage if it hit. Fiona wielded the chakra cloak that surrounded him to act. One of the tails planting itself into the ground, allowing Fiona to move at the last second and madir, the bone blade licked Fiona's cheek, drawing a small amount of blood. Fiona kicked the clones hard in the chest, sending it flying, spinning, and dropping down to his back. Fiona slammed a kick into the other clone's head in rapid succession. The clone was able to block the kick, but the force of its s and flying through the air. Fiona noticed the ice mirrors form around him and smiled. He could already feel the cut healing thanks to the chakra cloak, and he decided to wait and see what his clones had planned for him. The harder it was, the better he could learn to control Pin's powers. So far, Fiona could use the cloak up to three tails before his control started to lack. Saen had told him it would take time to adjust to the sudden burst of chakra levels and had warned him to take it slow. Although Saen wouldn't take over his body if he went too far, he would have to stop the flow of chakra if Fiona pushed too hard so not to harm his body or worse, kill him.

The ice mirrors had fully formed, creating a dome all around him. All three clones slipped into the ice mirrors, their reflections appearing in all of them. "Here it comes," Fiona said, taking a ready stance. Suddenly, a volley of bone bullets enhanced with lightning style chakra hit the ground where F was stood. He had managed to avoid the attack but soon found himself pressed at every angle. The clones darted in and around the mirrors, each firing volleys of bone bullets as they passed, almost too fast to see. Fiona had been pushed back on the defense. He had a bone blade in each hand and one in each tail of his chakra cloak, which allowed him to deflect the bone bullets for the time being, as long as he kept them enhanced with lightning style.

"I need to counterattack," Fiona said to himself, as he was starting to struggle with the oncoming barrage of bone bullets.

"Would you like me to decrease the amount of chakra I am providing your ice clones?" Saen said from inside Fiona's head. It was thanks to the Six Tales that Fiona was able to train like this, with its constant supply of chakra. The clones could fight at full power for a long time without draining Fiona's own chakra, allowing him to train more intensely by himself than ever before.

"No, keep them going, Saen. I have an idea," Fiona was spinning and twisting so fast that his body had almost become a blur, tossing bone blades into the ground in nearly a perfect circle around the ice mirrors. Fiona jumped high into the air, quickly making hand signs. "Here it goes!"

Fila was still focusing hard on his chakra cloak's tails, deflecting the never-ending barrage, his concentration starting to slip. "Lightning Style: Lightning Trap Jutsu!" he shouted, as each of the bone blades suddenly sparked to life, an electrical current passing from one to the next, connecting the entire circle. One of the clones failed to stop in time and was caught in the electric current, getting fried to a crisp. The others stopped quickly, looking at each other, giving a nod as they retreated inside of the mirrors.

"It worked," Fiona said, impressed with himself. "Now to deal with these mirrors," he said, forming hand signs. "My chakra is running low. I'll need your help for this one, Saen."

"I'm on it, Fiona," Saen replied.

The clones decided not to waste any more time and sprung back into action. They were continuing their guerrilla tactics, using the ice mirrors for cover, firing bone bullets over and over again. Suddenly, more ice mirrors formed around Fiona, acting as shields. The bone bullets hit the ice mirrors, but instead of shattering them, they simply passed right through, firing out of another mirror and ripping through the clones' ice prison. The clones were lucky they weren't hit by their own attack. However, the San could not be said for their ice mirrors, which had been destroyed by the bone bullets, shattering them like glass.

Fiona allowed his ice mirrors to dissolve into water, falling to the ground. "Looks like you're out of tricks," he said, eyeing up his clones.

Fiona suddenly felt a surge of pain down his arm. His control over his chakra cloak fading. "Two of the tails disappearing. Fiona, you have run out of chakra and your ability to control my chakra is becoming increasingly difficult without it," Saen warned.

"No, I'm not done yet!" Fiona shouted, trying to force more chakra.

"You can't force any more of your own chakra. If you do, you could die," Saen said, almost seeming worried.

"Just one last thing I want to try," Fiona said with a small smile on his face.

Saen disagreed, but nodded. "Very well. Take my chakra."

Fiona nodded as his energy was restored, allowing his chakra cloak to grow two more tails. The two clones rushed in, bones spiking out all over their body. Fila realized how terrifying it looked from the outside and almost laughed. "Here it goes! I see Graveyard Jutsu!" Fiona shouted as he slapped his hands onto the ground. A brief moment passed, and the clones stopped in their tracks, sensing danger. Suddenly, massive bones discharged from the ground, covering the entire area in an instant. Both the clones were shredded to pieces by the razor-sharp bones, their bodies instantly freezing at the touch of them before they crumbled into chunks of ice.

Fila let out a large breath as the bone started to dissolve into the gentle breeze, his chakra cloak fading before he fell to the ground, landing on his back. Saen was impressed at how quickly Fiona was grasping his powers. Not only was he able to control the massive amounts of chakra, but he could mix his own chakra with it, allowing him to channel all of his abilities and even enhance them. Saen was also impressed by Fiona's last Jutsu. It cost a massive amount of chakra, and from what he could tell, Fiona had mixed both of his Kijin Kai, creating a deadly combination of the two: razor-sharp bones that were harder than steel, so cold that once they touched you, you would freeze in an instant.

"That last one really took it out of me," Fiona said, still breathing heavily. "I have been working on that Jutsu for about a year now. I just never had enough chakra to cover such a distance at once."

Saen nodded, giving a smile. "I'm glad I could help," the tailed beast said, the two laughing together as Fiona took his time getting his breath back.

In the far-away distance, covered by a thick tree line, too far for Fiona to see, stood a small yet powerful figure. It was the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi. He had watched Fiona's training and control over his tail beast's powers with keen interest. "Impressive, very impressive. Not long now."

***

**Chapter 21**

A few more months passed, and before Fiona knew it, it was his birthday. He had survived 14 years in this world so far. Fiona didn't really celebrate, as it wasn't something you celebrated in the Hidden Mist. Instead, he kept to his duties and training regime, nothing out of the ordinary. Fiona had noticed the village hadn't sent him on any missions as of late, not that he minded, of course. It merely gave him more time to train and master his abilities best he could. That all changed when he received a summons to an ANBU Captain's meeting. Hado Kaji delivered the order. He was one of Fiona's most loyal subordinates, after all; he had saved his life.

"A Captain's meeting?" Fiona said, as he read the order.

"That's right, Captain Yuki. Orders from the Head Captain himself," Hatsu said, before he excused himself to attend to other matters.

"I've never been to a Captain's meeting before," Fiona said, trying to recall who the other ANBU captains even were. The meeting was being held in an hour, so Fiona decided he should go home and prepare his gear, using his body flicker to disappear, moving extremely quickly to get home as fast as he could.

Once Fiona arrived at his home, he got his gear all laid out, trying to decide what he should take. In the end, he went for his basic Mist Flak jacket and his black ANBU robes. It was what most Hidden Mist tracker shinobi wore. The only difference was the mask. The mask symbolized his rank among the ANBU and it was how the Mist could tell what position you held. It was a white Hunter mask with three blue claw marks raising from the bottom.

"That should do it," Fiona said, as he pulled on his stripe-patterned forearm protector, standard of the Hidden Mist. They were slash-proof and protected the wrists and arms from blades and other sharp things. Fiona took a quick look in the mirror, taking in his appearance, before heading out. He noticed he was slowly getting taller, and his black hair was still shoulder length for the time being. Fiona placed his mask on as he walked out of his home, disappearing into the Mist.

The meeting was taking place at the ANBU headquarters, that was located in the Mizukage's building itself. Fiona had been here many times before, as it was where he usually reported for missions or new gear, usually damaged due to his training. As Fiona darted across the rooftops of the Hidden Mist, he could see that the streets were quiet as usual. The village was still a bleak place for most to live, but most didn't have a choice. There was a lot of tension and unrest among the Land of Water at the moment. The nation was still recovering from the Civil War, and tensions between the Land of Wind and Land of Water were an all-time high. The Mizukage's ruthless reign over the land was starting to be questioned, his methods frowned upon by many, including the Dao of the Land of Water.

Fiona arrived at the meeting place. There were two guards stationed at the entrance. Each bowed their heads as Fiona walked into sight. "Welcome, Captain Yuki," one of them said. Fiona nodded to the guards as he entered the building and made his way to the meeting chamber, heading up the stairs and along a few corridors. He finally reached his destination. Again, two more guards were stationed on the door. They nodded and opened the doors for Fiona to enter, not saying a word.

Fiona noticed he was the last to arrive as he took in the appearance of the other ANBU captains dotted around the room. Fiona recognized Zabuza without even trying. He wore the standard Mist Flak jacket and ANBU robes with bandages wrapped around his face like he always had. He was sat on a chair with his legs crossed on the table, not looking impressed as he watched Fiona enter the room.

"Ah, Captain Yuki, you got the message then?" a familiar voice said. Fiona turned to see Ao walking over to greet him. It had been a while since Fiona had last seen him. Taking his mask off, Fiona greeted him. "Yes, sorry I am late. I didn't receive the news until an hour ago," Fiona said.

Fiona could see three others in the room. Two of which he recognized. One was Kisame Hoshigaki. He was stood at the head of the large table in the middle of the room. Fila could tell at one look he was powerful, even before getting his hands on his famous sword, his current rank and reputation already saying as much.

"So, you are Captain Yuki?" a female voice said, catching Fiona's attention. Fiona turned to look where the voice came from. It was Mayumi. She looked younger, about 18 years old. Her long red hair that she had in the anime was shorter, only a bit longer than shoulder length. Fiona couldn't help but notice how attractive she was, and it made him a little nervous. He turned to greet her, smiling at her. "Nice to meet you, and you are?" he asked, being polite.

"I thought with a reputation like yours, you would be older," she asked, ignoring his question, looking down at him. Fila rubbed the back of his head with a nervous laugh. "Well..." he was cut off as May continued to talk. "I like younger men anyway. The name is Mayumi," she said, as she blew a kiss at Fiona, causing him almost to blush a little. It didn't help that her rather broad cleavage was a little exposed. She wore a tight, low-cut black ANBU top that left her shoulders and upper cleavage exposed. She also wore the standard Mist Flak jacket with a black skirt, leaving her legs bare except for her standard shinobi footwear.

"Don't pay any attention to her," Ao said, rescuing Finess from her.

"What was that?" May said, looking at him angrily.

Fiona noticed one other man in the room, someone he had never seen before. He wore the standard Mist ANBU gear and sat quietly in one of the chairs, his arms folded across his chest. He made eye contact with Fiona before looking away in what Fiona believed was disgust.

Kisame cleared his throat, getting the attention of everyone in the room before he spoke, silencing May and Ao arguing with each other. "Should we start this meeting, or do you want to waste my time even more?" he said menacingly.

Everyone nodded, walking over to take a seat. May patted her hand on a chair next to her, winking at Fiona again. She clearly enjoyed toying with him, but he smiled a little awkwardly and sat down anyway. "Don't be nervous, Captain Yuki. I'm just playing with you," she said, as she crossed her legs, causing his cheeks to turn a little red. Fiona smiled nervously and turned away, catching Kisame's glare. Fiona put a serious face on as his eyes locked with Kisame in an intense staring contest for what seemed like too long time before Kisame spoke, a sharp-toothed smile coming to his lips.

"You are probably wondering why you have been summoned. After all, there has never been a meeting between ANBU captains like this before." The other captains didn't look impressed, other than May, who had a small smile on her face.

"Just to the point," Kisame said, clearly pissed that he was here.

"You insolent pup! How dare you speak to your commanding officer like that!" the other ANBU captain that Fiona had never seen before said. He was an older man, Fiona guessing he was in his late 30s.

Zabuza scoffed as he pulled his legs off of the table. "You got a problem with me, old man?" Zabuza shouted, giving off a murderous aura.

The other ANBU Captain stood to his feet and raged. "I will teach you a lesson, demon!" he scoffed as he said the word.

"Now, now, boys," May said, gaining both of their attention, calming them down. Fiona had heard the stories of her background. She was pretty famous for her abilities, as she also possessed two Kijin Kai and had graduated from the academy at the age of nine. Beautiful and extremely dangerous, just like himself, she had survived many battles through the war and made a name for herself, becoming a captain of ANBU.

Zabuza slapped his legs back onto the table, crossing his arms over his chest. "Whatever."

Kisame waited for it to quiet down before he started talking again. "Anyway, as I was saying, Lord Mizukage has decided to transfer me to work under Fuigetsu Suikazan directly. As such, one of you will be taking my position as Head Captain of the ANBU." The room remained silent as everyone waited for Kisame to start talking again. It was not uncommon for a captain of the ANBU to leave his role to work directly under one of the Seven. Well, currently only the three. There were still four slots open in the famous ranks after Mei of the Hidden Leaf had killed the others, and they had yet to be filled. Only Juugo, Raiga, and Fuigetsu had survived. It was amazing they had even made it back, as Fiona knew how powerful the Eight Gates were, a testament to their abilities as members of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.

"Ao, you will be taking my place. That is an order from the Mizukage himself." Ao nodded. "I am honored," he said, not showing any emotion.

"Lord Mizukage also wants a full report from each captain in regards to the strength of your units."

"Why so suddenly?" May asked, seeming a little confused.

"He didn't say," Kisame said bluntly. Kisame passed sealed documents to each of the captains, all except Fiona. "These are your orders from above," Kisame said, as he passed the last one out. Fiona was a little surprised as he didn't have one, but decided to stay quiet.

"Captain Yuki, the Mizukage wants to see you in his office after this meeting. It seems he has a mission to give you directly," Kisame said, giving Fiona a sharp grin. Fiona nodded, trying not to show any surprise on his face, but he knew whenever he was summoned to the Mizukage's office, it was never for something easy. The last time was to become the Six Tales host, and Fiona couldn't help but wonder what it would be this time.

"Are we done here?" Zabuza said, standing up, looking in a rush to leave.

"Yes, you may leave now," Kisame nodded. Zabuza didn't waste any time as he quickly left the room, not wanting to stick around to chitchat. Kisame also dismissed himself, saying he too had matters to attend to before vanishing. Fiona also noticed the other ANBU Captain leave without saying a word, leaving Fiona, Ao, and May alone.

"Well, Captain Yuki, you had better not keep Lord Mizukage waiting," Ao said, as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're leaving so soon?" May said, leaning back on the table, seeming sad.

Fiona tried his best to act professional and not fall for her teasing. "Yes, I had better not keep Lord Mizukage waiting." Ao nodded and said his goodbyes. Fiona placed his mask back on and exited the room. As he left, May gave a seductive smile. "So, that kid is really the famous Ice Devil of the Mist? I hope I meet him again soon."

Ao looked at her, crossing his arms over his chest. "Trust me, he's a lot stronger than he looks. He isn't as neat as you might think either."

May licked her lips before standing up and walking out of the room. "I look forward to working with him."

Fiona made his way to the Mizukage's office and entered as told. Once inside, he was met by Yagura and only Yagura. "You asked for me, Lord Mizukage," Fiona said, bowing.

"Yes, come in, Fiona," he said, turning away from the large window he was looking out of. "I have a mission from the Dao," he said, crossing his arms. "As you know, tensions are high with the Land of Wind. The Dao has proposed that he sends his daughter to agree upon a peace treaty."

Fiona wasn't convinced, but "Lord Mizukage, is that a good idea? Surely her life will be put at risk."

Yagura let his interruption slide as he sat down in his chair. "I have tried to warn him, but there is no convincing a politician."

"If anything happens to her, it will mean war," Yagura said, his expression cold. "I trust one can count on you."

Fiona didn't say anything for a moment and simply nodded. "It will be done."

"Very good. You will find all the details in the mission report on your way out. Oh, and Fila, do try your best not to let the princess die."

Fiona walked out of the Mizukage's office and took the mission report from one of the Mizukage's aids. He wasn't impressed and knew this was a bad idea. If the Hidden Sand got the news that the princess of the Land of Water was heading to the capital of the Land of Wind, there was no doubt that they would attack. The Hidden Sand was on bad terms as it was with their Dao, and the country was on the verge of a Civil War. The last thing the Land of Wind wanted was a war with the Land of Water, but Fiona had a feeling that is what the Hidden Sand wanted. After all, it was the perfect war to generate revenue and get revenge on the Hidden Mist.

Fiona made his way to the mission's office and placed the mission orders. After that, he summoned his ANBU Squad to meet tomorrow for the start of the mission. Fiona had already looked over and memorized the mission. It was an A-Class escort and protect the princess to and from the Land of Wind. No ANBU clothing was to be used, and Fiona and his Squad were ordered to dress as regular Jonin.

Fiona returned home and began preparation for the mission. He knew that there was a high possibility of being attacked and even a possible assassination attempt, but Fiona was confident he wouldn't run into anyone he couldn't deal with, which was most likely why the Mizukage had chosen him for the mission in the first place. "I should be prepared just in case," he said to himself as he packed some extra gear. "Hopefully, this goes smoothly. If not, can I count on your help, Saen?" Fiona said, closing his eyes so he could talk to the Six Tales.

Saen could see everything that Fiona could see and was already aware of the mission at hand. "I trust you, Fiona. I am at your side no matter what," the Six Tales said with a smile on its face. Fiona also smiled as he opened his eyes and finished packing all of his gear, turning to look at the clock on his table. Fiona noticed it was later than he thought. "I guess I still have just a little time to practice that Jutsu."

With that said, Fiona bit his thumb, drawing some blood, and made a few quick hand signs. "Reverse Summoning Jutsu," he said, slapping his hand on the floor, vanishing in a poof of white smoke.

***

**Chapter 22**

The morning of the mission had come. Fila was up early, giving him plenty of time to arrive on time. First, he got his gear ready, placing his Mist Flak jacket on and his headband around his head. Next, he reported to the meeting area where he had summoned his team. All four of them were already there, having arrived early. Fiona walked over to them and nodded in response to their greetings.

"Good morning, Captain Yuki," they said.

"Good morning, everyone," Fiona said, looking at them. His team consisted of Hatsu; he was Fiona's right-hand man, and they had completed many missions together. Sano, who was a man in his 20s, newly assigned to Fil's unit. He was tall and well-built; he had well-groomed black hair and brown eyes. Kaga, who was also in his mid-20s, had also been recently appointed to Fiona's unit and had blonde hair and blue eyes. Last was a girl called Ozawa Huki. She was 18 and had become a member of Fiona's unit since he had returned from the Hidden Leaf mission. She was shy and didn't say much, her abilities speaking for her, as she was a member of the Huki clan.

"All of them were dressed in their standard Hidden Mist Jonin gear, giving no evidence they were ANBU Black Ops, just as ordered."

"All right, team, time to report to the princess. She is staying at the VIP accommodation uptown," Fila said, informing them. His team all nodded in response and followed their Captain to the location. Once there, they reported to the guards that stood outside of the building. They were her personal guard from the capital, provided by the Dao himself.

"F. Yuki reporting to collect the princess," he said, showing his documentation signed by the Mizukage. The two guards looked at the paperwork for a second before nodding an approval. "Just one moment, please," one of them said, as the other entered the building. Fiona and his teen waited patiently, none of them saying much or engaging in chitchat. Fiona was confident that his team were all professionals and would act accordingly, for the most part.

A few moments later, the guard walked out and held the door open for Fiona and his Squad. "The princess is ready for you," he said, allowing them to enter. Fiona nodded, walking into the building. He was met by another guard who escorted him and his Squad to the princess's Chambers. She was staying in the penthouse on the top floor of the building that was reserved for VIPs only. Once Fiona and his Squad arrived, they were asked to wait outside for just a moment before being summoned inside. The doors opened, and two servants welcomed them inside to face the princess.

The princess was dressed in her formal robes, befitting royalty. She was 15 years old with long blonde hair and piercing brown eyes. "Yes, please come in," she said in a very well-mannered voice. Fiona and the others entered the room and bowed their heads, greeting Princess Mizuko.

"Fiona said, as he raised his head to look at her. She was a pretty young woman, her posture very sharp, and her aura demanding the attention of everyone in the room. "Yes, yes, nice to meet you, Captain Yuki. I assume," she said, not taking her sights away from Fiona.

"Yes, Princess. My squad and I have been assigned to escort you to the Land of Wind," Fiona said, looking to his team who all raised their heads to greet the princess.

"Nice to meet you all. I trust we shall get along swimmingly," she said, as she stood from her chair. "Daddy told me I would be given only the best protection. I trust you won't let anything happen to me, Captain Yuki," she said, walking over to Fiona, looking him in the eyes intently.

"You have my word, Princess," Fiona said, not breaking eye contact.

"Excellent. Show G, prepare my things for departure," she said to her servant before retaking a seat right away.

"Princess," he said, not wasting any time. "You may leave now, Captain Yuki," she said with a smile. Fiona nodded. "Yes, Princess," he said, bowing one last time before he and his Squad left the room.

Once they exited the building, Hatsu spoke up, not seeming impressed. "She seems like all of the other spoiled noble brats to me," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Saano gave a hearty laugh. "Come now, Hatsu. She is the princess of the Land of Water, after all."

"That doesn't make it any better," Hatsu said, not impressed. Kaga was picking his sharp teeth with a kunai, not paying any attention to others, while Ozawa stood quiet as usual.

"That's enough, you two," Fiona said. "Our mission is to escort and protect. We should keep our opinions to ourselves," Fiona said, silencing them.

"Sorry, Captain," Hatsu said quickly. "While we wait for the princess to get ready, I will go over formations for the mission." The others suddenly became focused on Fiona as he explained all of the details to them.

"Ozawa, you will be at the princess's side at all times. I don't care what time it is, what she is doing, you shadow her every move. Never let her out of your sight." Ozawa nodded in response, not saying anything.

"The rest of us will position around the princess's caravan in a 360° arch, one of us on all sides, covering every angle." The others paid close attention as Fiona continued to explain the plan. "Hatsu, you will take the front, leading the caravan, using your sensory abilities to help detect possible threats. Kaga and Saano, you will take the port and starboard sides."

"Yes, Captain," they each said.

"I will take the rear, keeping our backs safe. I will also keep watch over the whole caravan from the rear. In the event we are attacked, I want Kaga and Saano to join Azawa in a tight close formation around one target formation to protect the princess. Hatsu, you will put up a layer of mist to blind the enemy before joining me on a counterattack." The others all nodded in agreement, understanding the plan. No one had any questions, and F was glad for it, after all, it was straightforward to understand, and he would have been worried if any of them had failed to comprehend.

"One last thing," Fiona said. "In the event we come across an enemy we cannot defeat head-on, I will give the order for 'Planting Kyaku' retreat. If this happens, I will stay behind to buy as much time while the four of you escape with the princess."

"But Captain Yuki!" Hatsu piped up, not seeming impressed.

"No, no, but Hatsu, that is an order," Fiona said. Hatsu bit his lip but remained silent and nodded in agreement with the others.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Fiona said with a smile. The others also agreeing with him.

Not long after, the princess's caravan was ready to move out and left the protection of the Hidden Mist Village. Fiona and the others took up their formations, not expecting any trouble until they left the Land of Water, after all, the Dao was well-loved in this land. The princess's caravan was rather large, and it was clear she didn't like to travel light, bringing many things with her for the journey. She wasn't pleased to have Ozawa with her 24/7, but made her peace with it eventually. The trip was a long and tedious one as they made their way to a private port owned by the Dao himself. What should have been a day's journey would take two with all of the luggage the princess insisted on bringing. Fiona was correct that no trouble would follow while they were in the Land of Water. Everyone seemed to love the princess, and she was met with great respect at each village they passed. Fiona had instructed Hatsu to lead the caravan to a make camp at a small town that was on route to the port. Here, the princess could sleep in an inn, as she would surely refuse to camp outdoors. They arrived just before dark to the village, and the princess's servants made the

Arrangements for her accommodation, Fiona had Kaba check it out first to make sure it was safe. He returned not long after, giving the signal it was all clear, allowing the princess and her maids to leave the protection of her carriage.

The entire top floor of the inn had been rented out for the night. Fiona had instructed they take shifts to keep guard of the princess through the night, sleeping in the room next to the princess's while they rested. All except Ozawa, who would stay in the princess's room with her.

As night rolled in, Fiona and the other others settled in with some food that had been provided by the inn for them. Kago was first to take watch, and his stag was coming to an end with Fas coming next. And then I threw my kunai, popping the water balloon all over his head.

"Hatsu!" shouted, getting a laugh from Fiona and Saano. They were each telling stories and were currently on the topic of pranking others.

Saano laughed hard and almost choked on his food. "Careful, Saano," Fiona said, giving a small chuckle. It wasn't often that Fiona found himself having fun on a mission. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he had sat down with others and laughed.

"Captain Yuki, can I ask you a question?" Hatsu asked once the laughter faded.

Fiona looked at his friend and nodded. "Of course, Hatsu. What's on your mind?"

"It's about Lord Mizukage," he said, a little unsure if he should continue speaking. "It's just..." he started, "never mind," he decided to say, dropping the matter. The atmosphere in the room had flipped, and everyone remained silent.

"Don't worry, Hatsu. Things will get better," Fiona said as he stood to his feet. "Have a little faith," Fiona said, giving a confident smile. With that, Fiona took his leave to release Kaga from his shift, leaving Hatsu and Saano alone in the room.

"How well do you know Captain Yuki?" Saano asked Hatsu.

Hatsu smiled. "Well enough."

"It's just I've heard the rumors," Saano said quietly.

Hatsu raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of tea. "And what would they be?"

"Well, it's just, you know, the Ice Devil of the Mist. I've heard the stories. Are they really true?"

Hatsu started laughing, clearing the air. "Well, they don't call him that for nothing," Hatsu said with a smile. "But I think that that's enough gossip about Captain Yuki. It would be best you ask him yourself if you have any questions," Hat said, closing the matter.

Meanwhile, Fiona decided it would be best to check on Ozawa and the princess before they settled for the night. He knocked on the door, waiting outside for a response. The door was opened by one of the princess's maids, who bowed her head to him a little nervously.

"Please come in," she said in a gentle voice.

Fiona nodded. "Thank you." He was escorted inside and bowed when he saw the princess. She was sat on her bed, having her hair brushed by another of her maids, wrapped up in her nightgown, her legs bare.

"Welcome, Captain Yuki," the princess said with a smile. "I take it you have come to check on my well-being?"

Fiona raised his head, noticing Ozawa was sat silently in the corner of the room with her legs crossed. "Yes, princess. I was just checking in before... before you rest for the night," Fiona said, giving Ozawa a nod. She returned his gesture, letting him know nothing was out of the ordinary.

"We are perfectly fine, as you can see," the princess said, examining her nails before looking Fiona up and down. "If you wish to join us for some gossip instead of your kunoichi here, then please be my guest. She is a little on the quiet side."

Fiona smiled. "I'm afraid I have other matters to attend to, princess. Ozawa doesn't like to talk too much, but may I remind you, she is here for your protection and not to gossip," Fiona said, bowing his head, winking at Ozawa as he did. Ozawa gave him a nod of appreciation, and with that, Fiona walked out of the room, shutting the door.

"Shame," the princess muttered. She looked over to Ozawa, patting the spot next to her on the bed. "Ozawa, dear, come here for a moment."

Ozawa did as she was told by the princess and sat on the bed, feeling a little uncomfortable. "How much do you know about you, Captain?" the princess asked, seeming very interested.

Ozawa looked uncomfortable and gulped. "What do you mean, p-princess?" she responded quietly.

"Come now, Oawa dear, you must know all about him if he is your commanding officer. I want to know all the juicy details about him. You must spare no detail." Ozawa was clearly uncomfortable, but the princess continued to press the matter anyway.

"Well, I don't know," Ozawa said, not really sure what to say.

"Come now, Ozawa, you can tell me," the princess said, placing her hand on Ozawa's, looking into her eyes. "How old is he, for a start? He still looks so young. His name is famous even among us nobles, you know. Do they really call him the Ice Devil of the Mist?" the princess suddenly blurted out.

Ozawa was taken back by all of the questions about Fiona and wasn't sure how to answer them herself. "I'm not sure, princess. I haven't known him very long at all. I have only heard the rumors myself," Ozawa said, blushing a little.

"Tell me everything!" the princess said excitedly.

Fila arrived to take over watch for Kaga, who had taken the first shift. "Captain," he said, nodding his head. Fiona also nodded in response.

"Anything, Kaga?" Fiona asked, taking a seat on the edge of the inn's roof where they were keeping watch from.

"No, sir. Nothing," Kaga said, standing to his feet.

"Good. Go and get some rest," Kaga Fiona said, smiling at him. Kaga nodded and made his way back inside to join the others for some food, leaving Fiona alone on the roof.

Fiona was pretty sure no trouble would come while in the Land of Water, but he wouldn't take any chances. He pulled out a map from his weapons pouch and started to study the route they were taking. If all went well, they would arrive at the port tomorrow afternoon, setting sail into the night before arriving in the Land of Fire. Once there, they had permission to cross the border from the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, who had granted safe passage. It would take a week at the speed they were traveling before they arrived in the Land of Wind's capital.

Phil not only hoped that nothing happened along the way that could slow them down. As he sat at top the roof of the inn and looking up at the stars, Fiona couldn't help but think back on his past. So far, in this world, he had been born into a war-torn country ruled by fear and corruption. His own clan had shipped him off to war and forsaken him, only to face annihilation themselves. Surviving battle after battle, skirmish after skirmish, facing death's doors too many times to count, Fiona had overcome all of the odds. He smiled as he thought back to his days in the academy.

"And I thought those days were tough," he said with a smirk, thinking back to his many battles during the war, all of the encounters he had made in this world so far. So many he had still yet to meet. Fiona started to chuckle to himself suddenly as he remembered a very faithful encounter.

"What is so funny?" Sain couldn't help but ask, overhearing Fiona's thoughts.

Fiona took a moment and regained his composure. "Just thinking about a rival of mine," he said, letting the memory play back in his head.

Flashback. It had been a full year since Fiona had left the academy. He had been shipped off onto the front lines and sent on over a dozen dangerous missions, one after the other. All of them he completed against the odds. Words spread around about how a small genin had survived against the battle with the Hidden Leaf, a child of the Yuki Clan, unwanted by his own clan. However, Fiona wasn't the only famous child of the Bloody Mist. No, there was another who had also made a name for himself.

Back to the present time. "Zabuza Momochi," Fiona said with a small grin.

"Who is that?" Sain asked.

Fiona smiled. "The Demon of the Mist."

Back to flashback. Zabuza had also made a name for himself at the time of their great graduation. He had killed over 100 students of the academy, not being a student himself. It was unheard of and had caused an uproar among the instructors, calling the practice of the final exam into question. In the year after, he had made a name for himself, being sent on missions worthy of the nickname that had been given to him. It was sporadic. Fiona had found himself back in the village for long enough to cross paths with him again, but fate had decided to intertwine the two of them. Zabuza had heard the rumors of Fiona's abilities, and he didn't like it one bit. He had to know who was stronger.

Back to the present time. "Is he a friend of yours?" Sain asked.

"You seem to think very highly of him," Fus smiled once more before speaking. "I wouldn't say friend, but you're right."

Flashback. The air was cold, the ever-present mist surrounding the village, masking it from the outside world. Fiona had found himself home from the war front, and he appreciated the break. He had taken the day to wander the village and rest his mind. The thought of running away had crossed through his head many times, but sadly, he always came to the same conclusion. "Where would I go? Who would take me in after what I have done? After what I had to do to survive?" he thought. Fiona knew if he ran away, he would be branded a rogue ninja and hunted like a dog. He had no allies, no help. No other village would take him in. Who would take a traitor to their own village and trust them? "Better the devil you know," sometimes he would often say to himself.

This time, though, his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden bloodlust in the air. Fiona had turned down a small street heading back to where he was currently staying while back in the village. Turning to see where the bloodlust was coming from, Fiona came face to face with Zabuza. From the information Fiona had been able to collect so far, he had concluded that Zabuza was in fact two years older than him, making him 12 at this point. Fiona watched as Zabuza's demon-like aura flared around his frame, his intent to kill as real as the first time he had come face to face with him.

"I see you're still alive," Zabuza said in a gruff voice.

Fiona smiled, crossing his arms over his chest. "You too, I see. Where did they send you?" Fiona asked.

Zabuza scoffed. "Doesn't matter. What matters is we have a score to settle," Zabuza said as he pulled a kunai out of his weapon pouch.

Fiona was only a little surprised. After all, dead bodies were often found littering the streets here in the Bloody Mist. No one would question enough. "Do you intend to kill me, Zabuza?" Fiona asked.

"Kid," Zabuza looked just as demonic as adult Zabuza had looked in the anime. His hair was short and messy, much like when he would be older. His teeth had already been filed down, sharp as blades, ready to be used as another weapon. He wore the standard Hidden Mist gear, complete with a flak jacket, just as fun war. "I was hoping you would survive. In fact, I knew you would. Ever since we class blades, I've wanted to see which of us is stronger!" Zabuza shouted, his heart pumping from the excitement that came before a battle.

"You know what? I want to see who is stronger too," Fiona said, allowing a bone blade to protrude from his shoulder before taking it in his hand, swinging it around for effect, taking a battle-ready stance.

Zabuza was surprised as he watched Fiona pull his own bone out of his shoulder, but he didn't let it distract him. "You're mine!" Zabuza shouted as he charged down the street, his kunai raised and his bloodlust visible.

Fiona charged in too, giving a loud battle cry as the two of them clashed, locking blades in a battle for power. Zabuza pushed forwards hard, using all of his might, overpowering Fiona, driving him back. Fiona quickly sidestepped, using Zabuza's own strength against him. Falling forward, Sabua lost his footing for a mere second, allowing Fiona to spin with blinding speed, slashing out with his bone blade. But Zabuza was no ordinary shinobi. Even at the age of 12, he duck-dodging the swipe by a hair's length, quickly kicking his leg out, hitting Fiona's shin, knocking his off balance.

"You're mine!" he shouted as he swiped at Fiona's throat with his Kai. Fiona was impressed at his skill, even being forced to use his abilities to a higher degree, allowing bones to shoot from his ribs. Fiona stopped Zabuza's arm in its tracks, one of the bones cutting him. Zabuza was able to retreat before getting impaled fully, realizing he couldn't match Fiona head-on in a match of Taijutsu. Zabuza took a step back, his silhouette fading into the thick mist, leaving no trace of him.

"Silent killing," Fiona said, taking a ready stance. Quickly, Fiona burst into a leap, springing off the side of one building and onto another, flipping down into an alley. Fiona placed his back against the wall, knowing now there was only one way an attack could come from. Fiona's senses kicked in at the last second as Zabuza suddenly appeared in a tiny gap behind him, swiping at his with his Kai. Fiona rolled forwards, and before he could even stand back to his feet, Zabuza was on his again. Fiona blocked all of the incoming attacks but was caught by a powerful sidekick to the ribs, which sent him flying into a large rubbish bin.

Fiona didn't have time to complain as Zabuza launched into the air like a lion going for the kill. Fiona smiled and allowed bones to protrude from all over his body, halting Zabuza's attack.

"Is that your only trick?" Zabuza said, taunting Fiona.

Fiona smiled as he clapped his hands together, making a hand sign. "No, but you fell for it," he said as large ice mirrors started to form all around Zabuza, blocking him in the alley with no way out.

"What the hell is this?" Zabuza said, looking around frantically like a trapped rodent.

"Give up, Zabuza. It's over," Fiona said as he took a step back, slipping into one of his mirrors.

Zabuza pulled out another kunai, so he held one in each hand as he took a low stance. "I won't lose!"

"Crystal ice mirrors," Fiona said as his reflection appeared in the rest of the mirrors. Zabuza was in high gear now, as all of his senses were at their peak. Fiona could see him weighing up every option, every possible plan running through his head, not losing faith in his abilities even once. Zabuza threw a handful of shuriken in all directions before trying to make a break for it. Fiona watched him move more out of interest than anything else but decided to halt his escape. Dashing from one mirror to the next, Fiona caught all of the shuriken in rapid succession before kicking Zaba out of the air. Zabuza flipped over, landing hard, not wasting any time trying to get ready to counter Fiona's counterattack.

"I think these belong to you," Fiona said, throwing all of the shuriken back at Zabuza. The sharp metal objects landed all over the floor in front of him. His face dropping for the first time as he realized he had no chance of winning. Zabuza dropped to his knees in desperation, his confidence shattered at Fiona's overwhelming abilities.

"W-what are you?" Zabuza asked, his anger fading.

Fiona stepped out of the mirror behind Zabuza and placed a bone blade to his neck. "I am Fiona Yuki."

Zabuza's eyes suddenly opened wide as his rage grew to new limits. His aura grew bigger and bigger until it was clear as day, a true demon had appeared above him now, in all of its glory. Zabuza lashed out, slamming a kick into F's chest. The kick was so strong that Fiona was sent flying, crashing through his own ice mirror before hitting the ground hard. He had already reinforced his bones; doing so had become second nature now before every battle, but the force of the kick had been so great that his ribs had still cracked. He stood back to his feet, clutching his chest from the blow.

Zabuza was hunched over, the demonic aura hovering above and clear as day. "Maybe I underestimated you," Fiona said, a smile coming to his face. "It won't happen again," he said as bones slowly spiked out from all over his body once more, including two horns at top his head. The air around him growing colder and colder as his chakra flared to life. The two young ninjas stood face to face, their killing intent so strong that it could be felt all across the village. It was a stalemate, the calm before the storm. Now, the two of them were really ready to battle with everything they had, everything they had used to survive up until this point. It was now or never.

"What the hell are you two doing?" a voice shouted from one of the rooftops. More figures suddenly appeared, each one of them dressed as a member of the ANBU tracker unit. The leader flipped down, landing in the middle of Fiona and Zabuza, taking a good look at both of them.

"I think that's enough, you two, unless you want us to finish where you started," the ANBU captain said, not seeming impressed.

Fiona nodded and allowed his bones to return inside his body, relaxing his chakra, enabling the air to warm once more. Zabuza, however, didn't seem to care about the arrival of the ANBU. All he cared about was to prove he was stronger. "Don't get in my way!" he shouted as he ran full speed, charging at Fiona like a monster.

Several water whips suddenly wrapped Zabuza up, preventing him from moving any further. The water whip was a unique tracker technique. The water was stronger than steel and could hold even the strongest shinobi in binds. Zabuza tried his best to struggle, giving a loud battle cry as he did. The ANBU captain nodded to one of the others, who suddenly threw a needle. The needle struck Sauza in the side of the neck, dropping him to the floor unconscious.

"That's enough out of him," the ANBU captain said. He turned to look at Fiona and then back to Zabuza. "I don't know what you were fighting about, but save it for the real enemy."

ID Fiona nodded before turning around. The whispers catching his ears as he walked out of the alley. "Isn't that that kid?" "Yeah, the Yuki one." The voice said as more and more people turned up to see what was going on. "Isn't that a Kagaya ability?" one of the ANBU said to his captain. The ANBU captain didn't say anything and just watched as Fion walked away. Fiona walked away, ignored them as he pushed past the crowd that gathered, merely disappearing into the mist as if he were never there.

And a flashback. "I didn't see Zabuza after that for a long time," Fiona said with a sigh.

"Maybe that was a good thing. It sounds like you would have killed each other," Sain said.

Fiona laughed before standing to look into the distance. "I think Zabuza became my first friend in this place after that," Fiona said, placing his hands on his hips. Sain stayed quiet, as could tell Fiona was letting his thoughts run wild once more. "Who knows, perhaps we will fight again in the future," Fiona said, sitting back down, stretching his arms into the sky to crack his back.

Fiona suddenly sensed Hatsu coming but didn't turn to face him. "Is it that time already?" Fila said with a smile.

"Yes, Captain. I have come to take over your guard," Hatsu replied, not surprised he knew he was there.

Fiona stood up and nodded at Hatsu. "Well, see you in the morning."

"Thank you, Captain," Hatsu replied as he settled in to take his turn on guard duty. Fiona walked back down into the inn, returning to his room to see the others already asleep. "Well, time to settle in," he said as he got into bed, letting his mind relax and his memories turn into dreams.

Chapter 23. So, so far, the journey to the Land of Wind had gone smoothly. The princess had complained a little along the way and had even tried to change course, but Fiona had managed to get them back on track every time. Now, they were only a day's journey from their destination, the capital city of the Land of Wind. Fiona had reminded his team to remain vigilant. Now they were in the Land of Wind, knowing an attack could come at any moment.

Fiona was leading the princess's caravan through the desert land. It was scorching hot as the sun was at its highest point in the sky, unforgiving to those who were not accustomed to it.

"Captain Yuki, can't you doing anything about this god-awful heat?" the princess shouted, moaned even while one of her maids fanned her to help keep her cool.

Fiona gave a forced smile before he spoke. "I'm afraid I can't do much about the sun, princess."

The princess scoffed as she fell back into her seat, flailing her legs in the air as she did. Hatsu wasn't impressed but decided to keep it to himself. Fiona had changed their formation. Now they were in the desert, keeping his team closer together around the princess. Ozawa was still kept with the princess at all times. They had become more friendly towards one another, and Fiona couldn't help notice. Fiona and Hatsu led the caravan at the front, while KAG and Saano kept a tight watch at the back, just like four dots on a dice.

"Hatsu, you see anything?" Fiona asked. Asked Hatsu had excellent sensory abilities, and Fiona was relying on him to sense any trouble or danger.

"No, Captain Yuki. Nothing," he said, checking once more. Fiona was happy with his answer, turning to check on the others. He could see the princess and Ozawa talking and giggling to each other, which seemed strange. Kaga kept to himself and gave Fiona a nod when he noticed him looking over at him, which Fiona returned. Sano, on the other hand, was chatting to one of the princess's maids, no doubt flirting with her. All seemed well, and Fiona was happy with how everything was going thus far.

"Ambush!" Hatsu shouted suddenly, alerting everyone in the caravan. Fiona could see a storm of explosive kunai raining down upon them. Quickly, he slapped his hands down on the ground, creating an ice dome all around the caravan to protect them from the fierce rain of metal. The ice dome held, doing its job, taking the brunt of the first assault, even though the ice was weaker thanks to the intense heat of the sun.

"Keep the princess safe!" Fiona shouted. He quickly turned to Hatsu. "Where are they?"

"Two that side and two more to my right," Hatsu shouted as he pulled his sword from his back. Fila spun around, dodging a thrust at his head by one of the enemy ninjas. Quickly, he grabbed their wrist, twisting it, and flipping the ninja onto the ground, before stabbing them in the head with a bone from his hand. It was fast and brutal, but Fiona didn't have time to worry about that now. He looked over to see Hatsu currently battling one of the others, while two more had already broken past and were heading right for the princess.

Kaga dived into action, clashing his kunai against one of the enemy shinobi, and they entered into a fierce battle. The enemy all had their faces covered, which demon masks, but wore the Hidden Sand uniform, indicating they were ANBU members. Their target was defiantly the princess, and Fiona wasn't going to let them have their own way.

Hatsu clashed with one of the enemy shinobi who was also armed with a short sword. The two seemed evenly matched in kenjutsu, each of them holding their own against the other. Blades clashed and clashed again in a stalemate until Fiona suddenly appeared out of the blind side of the enemy shinobi's vision. His reactions were impressive, and he was able to block Fiona's thrust aimed at his midsection. He spun around with superb skill, flicking his sword through the air and changing hands with it, thrusting his blade down hard, impaling Fiona through his back, forcing him to the ground.

"Captain!" Hatsu shouted as he watched Fiona get pinned to the ground by the enemy.

"I don't think so," the shinobi shouted, seeming pleased with his handywork. To his surprise, F's body suddenly started to melt as it turned into ice. "W-what in the..." he was interrupted as as F's clone exploded, sending shards of ice scattering all over. The assassin was too slow to move out of the way and was impaled by the ice shards, his body falling limp, hitting the sand hard with a thud. Hatsu gave a small grin as he watched what had happened. "I should have known better," he said before running to help the others.

Meanwhile, Kad and Saano were also locked in battle with the two remaining assassins, while Zawa kept a close guard over the princess and her maids, not letting them out of her sight. Kad's span quickly, kicking his leg out at the assassins trying to sweep him. The assassin was fast, though, jumping into the air to avoid the kick. The assassin counter-attacked as he swung his sword aiming for Kad's face. Kaga dodged the first strike as he leaned back. The second was much harder to escape, and he was forced to roll back onto the ground. Kaga rolled onto his hands and used them to spring up onto his feet just in time to block his attack strike. The assassin had jumped in, hoping to impale him with a swift strike to his chest, but Kadoo was able to step to the side, allowing the blade to deflect off his kunai and out of harm's way. KAG used the deflection to spin, attempting a spinning back fist, but the ninja ducked, avoiding the attack. The enemy grabbed a handful of sand, throwing it into K's eyes, taking him by surprise, and leapt forwards, going for the kill.

"ARGH RR!" Kaga shouted as the sand blinded him. He swiped with his kunai in all directions, unable to see where the next attack would come from in a desperate attempt to survive.

"You are mine!" the assassin shouted just before he went for the killing blow, thrusting his blade towards K's heart. At the last second, the assassin stopped dead in his tracks. A white bone suddenly protruding through his chest, killing him instantly. Fiona had taken his back unnoticed, delivering a fatal blow, saving saving Kad's life, dropping the sand ninja's corpse to the ground.

"Wash your eyes out, Kad," Fiona shouted, disappearing as fast as he had appeared. "Just one left," Fiona thought to himself as he dashed through the caravan to aid Saano. The princess's aids and servants had taken cover and were screaming with panic as the sounds of battle and steel clashing continued around them. Sano was battling the last remaining assassin, who was proving to be a handful. So, Swano could tell from their build, it was most likely a woman, and he already knew she was much more agile than him. Sano blocked her first two punches but failed to stop the kick that followed. The asent used it to quickly press her foot off of Sana's knee, using it as a step to jump into the air where she delivered another powerful spinning back kick to his face that sent him crashing into the ground. She didn't waste any time as she quickly sped past the civilians who made up the princess's caravan, who screamed in panic and tried their their best to stay out of the way. The Assassin quickly reached Ozawa and the princess, jumping him into the air and spinning. She attacked with all of her might. Ozawa was able to block the strike with her own kunai, but the female umu was swift. She spun around, hand planting the floor, attempting a spinning heel kick at Ozawa, who only just avoided the blow. The Assassin darted forwards with her blade, seeing an opening in Ozawa's defense, and went for the kill. To her surprise, her blade passed right through Ozawa, and her arm got trapped in her body as it partially turned to water.

"What is this?" she shouted as she tried to pull free.

Ozawa smiled and Reed her kunai, ready to counterattack. "I don't think so," the Assassin shouted, using her free hand to slap an explosive tag onto a part of Ozawa's body that wasn't liquefied. Ozawa quickly released the Assassin and pushed the princess out of the way as she did her best to maintain the blast with her body. The Assassin was able to jump out of the way of the explosion. While in the air, she noticed that she was the last remaining member of her squad left alive, and so she decided it best to retreat.

Fiona watched as Ozawa covered the princess, allowing no harm to befall her, and rushed after the Assassin, quickly forming hand signs, allowing an ice mirror to develop behind her. "Time for me to retreat," the Assassin said as she pulled a smoke bomb out of her weapon pouch. She raised her arm high into the air, about to throw the smoke bomb onto the ground when Fiona suddenly appeared and grabbed her wrist.

"I don't think so," he said with a straight face. The Assassin used her leg to kick at Fiona's face, but he grabbed her ankle, stopping the kick with ease. The woman seemed surprised and quickly attacked with the sword in her other hand. Fiona grabbed the blade, the metal instantly freezing in his grasp. He squeezed hard, shattering the sword before he slammed his fist into the woman's stomach. She suddenly burst into smoke, and Fiona was left with his fist impaled in a piece of deadwood that she had switched out with.

"Substitution," Fiona said, a little pissed. He had fallen for it. "Hatsu, can you locate her?" Fiona said, not wasting any time.

Hatsu nodded and closed his eyes as he focused. "She is heading Southwest, the direction of Soneg," your captain, Hatsu said, as he opened his eyes to speak. The panic around the caravan had settled now; the enemy had been dealt with. Fiona turned to look at one of the corpses and confirmed they were all Hidden Sand Uo.

"Those bastards," Saano said, wiping a bit of blood from his lip.

Kaga had also regrouped with the others, having washed the sand out of his eyes. "Captain, does that mean the Hidden Sand intends to start a war with us?" Hatsu asked.

Fila kept a straight face while speaking. "For now, let's get the princess to the capital safely. Once there, we can see what the Daimyo has to say and give a message to Lord Mizukage." The others nodded in agreement, and Fant dismissed them, telling them to return to their posts.

Fiona walked over to Ozawa, who, thanks to her hydroc technique, was unharmed by the explosive tag. The princess was being tended to by her servants, who scattered around trying to keep calm. The princess, not looking pleased in the slightest.

"Ozawa, are you all right?" Fiona asked. She looked at him while taking a sip from a rather large water bottle he had failed to notice. "Why, yes, Captain. As long as I keep hydrated, I will be fine," she said in her quiet voice.

"Good. Rest up and keep an eye on the princess," Fila said before walking over to the princess. He wasn't even given time to speak as the princess suddenly L dived into his arms. "Oh, Captain Yuki, please tell me they are all dead! You killed them, right?" she blurted out as she wrapped her arms around his body.

"Princess, P-please let go of me," he said, suffocating under her chest. She did as asked and unwrapped her arms, letting him go. "Who on earth were they? Do they really think they can attack me and get away with it?" she said, changing her tune pretty fast, ignoring the fact her breasts were still firmly pressed against Fiona's face. Fiona was able to get free and regain his composure rather well before he spoke calmly, although still a little red in the face. "I can't say for certain, princess, but you are safe for now. The sooner we get you to the capital, the better," he said, lying to her. He thought it best not to tell the princess all of the details for now; it would be better to wait and see what the Daimyo had to say.

With that said and done, Fiona was able to get the caravan ready to travel in a short space of time and lead them through the remaining desert to the capital city of the Land of Wind. Thankfully, no more attacks had come. The sun was getting low now, and everyone was exhausted. If Fiona didn't know any better, it would be the perfect time to launch another attack. Thankfully, one never came, and instead, the faint glow from the lights of the capital came into view as they crossed the last large sand dune.

"Look, it's the capital!" someone shouted, alerting everyone in the princess's caravan of the sight. Fiona could feel everyone's spirits lift, knowing they were so close to their destination and out of harm's way. The city was rather large and sat at top a large lagoon that didn't fit its location in the middle of the desert. Green palm trees surrounded the city, giving it a much better appearance than the surrounding desert. Fiona had only ever been to the capital city of the Land of Water before and a few other large towns of other nations. This had to be the largest city he had set his eyes on in this world so far. However, Foma couldn't help wonder how many dangers lurked inside.

Fiona led the princess to the capital's gates that were guarded by non-shinobi. Fiona presented the documents and paperwork for them to enter the city. With such a large amount of people, the whole process didn't take too long, and they were soon welcomed inside and met by an adviser of the Daimyo himself. The adviser greeted the princess and led all of them to a large apartment complex where they would be staying while in the capital. The princess wasn't impressed but accepted it nevertheless.

"I do hope you will find everything to your liking, Princess Mizuko," the advisor said, rubbing his stubby little hands together.

The princess nodded. "Yes, yes, this will do. Please tell the Daimyo of my arrival, and then I will see him right away," she said, not even waiting for the advisor to respond. The advisor nodded and bowed as she walked away. Looking to Fiona, he gave a smile. "Please give the princess my regards."

Fiona nodded and watched as he walked away into the broad streets of the city. Once gone, Fiona turned to the others, gaining their attention. "Hatsu, I want a report of how many shinobi are within our location. Ozawa and Saano, stay with the princess at all times," he said, looking at them. "Kaga, you're with me," he said, turning his back to the others. No waiting for their reply, Fiona used his body flicker to move quickly to the top of the apartment complex that the princess would be staying. The entire top floor had been reserved for the princess and her party, with guards placed at the entrance of the building. Fila was pretty sure the guards were only there to keep tabs on the princess.

Reporting anything to their commanders. From his position on top of the building, Fiona could see out across the entire city. It was bursting with life and noise, a true oasis. People littered the streets as they drank and partied without a care in the world. It was very different from how a ninja village looked. In some ways, it reminded him of how cities in the real world looked, just not quite as modern.

Kaga joined Fiona on the rooftop and noted his impressive speed. "What's on your mind, Captain?" kaga asked.

Fiona didn't turn to look at him as he took the stimulating side of the city, taking him back to his carefree life in the real world. "Captain," kaga asked again. Fiona snapped out of his daze and turned to kaga. "Sorry, I was just lost in thought," he said with a smile. Kaga nodded and remained silent, waiting for Fiona to speak.

"I have a mission for you," Fiona said, turning to look over the city once more.

"Yes, sir," kaga said, not even asking what it was.

"I need you to inspect and survey the meeting area where the princess will sit with the Daimyo tomorrow."

Kaga nodded. "You think it could be a trap?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," Fiona said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Make sure you go unseen," he added, dismissing kaga, who vanished to carry out his mission. Fiona took one last look over the city before also disappearing into the darkness.

Inside, the princess had unpacked most of her belongings, or rather, her servants had done so while she told them where to put everything. Ozawa remained quiet, sipping on her water every now and again, while Saano was helping do some of the heavy lifting as the princess barked orders. Fas slipped into the room quietly and stood next to Atsu, who was the only one to notice his arrival.

"Did you find anything, Hatsu?" Fiona asked quietly.

Hatsu shook his head. "No, Captain. I have detected no threats within the city. Whoever those ANBU were, they aren't here."

Fiona nodded. "Keep me updated if anything changes," he said. The princess noticed Fiona standing next to Hatsu and shouted over to him as the room was rather large.

"Captain Yuki!" the princess shouted, running over to him. "Where have you been and why are you sneaking around? Have you heard from the Daimyo yet? Why would he contact you over me? That makes no sense!" she said, all at once, suddenly talking to herself. FAA smiled awkwardly. "Everything is fine, princess. You have been scheduled for a reception tomorrow morning," he said. The princess didn't answer him and instead shouted at Saano, who put a large vase in the corner of the room. "What do you think you are doing? That doesn't belong there!" she shouted, running over to him.

Fiona slipped back next to Hatsu while she was distracted. "I want a guard detail around the princess 24/7," Fiona said before vanishing. Hatsu, giving a small nod, agreeing.

It was early into the morning now, and Fiona had remained on the roof of the building until KAG reported back. His report was all clear, saying that there were no traps that had been set. Fiona trusted his report but would check one last time before the meeting to make sure it was safe. After keeping watch almost all night, Fiona was finally able to get some rest, letting Saano take over his watch on the perimeter.

The morning of the meeting soon came. The princess was up and dressed in only her finest clothes as she prepared for her meeting with the Daimyo. Fiona had already briefed his team about the details of the day. They escorted the princess to the office of the Daimyo with nothing seeming out of the ordinary. The princess and her most trusted attendants walked through the streets, feeling and his team covering her as her bodyguards. Civilians littered the streets to see what all of the commotion was about. Thankful, the city guards were helping keep the crowds under control, and it made the escort of the princess much easier. They arrived at the Daimyo's palace and were greeted by the Daimyo's head of security along with the adviser they had meet the night before.

"Greetings, Princess Mizuko. I trust you slept well?" the stubby little adviser said.

"Fine, thank thank you," the princess replied, looking down at him. The head of security nodded at Hatsu, who nodded back. "I am Captain Delar of the Daimyo Guard. If you will follow me, please," the large man said. The princess followed the Guard Captain along with her servants. Fiona and his teen keeping close to her as they entered the palace.

"I'm afraid I must inform you that only the princess and her aids will be permitted entry into the Daimyo Chambers," D Mark said, speaking to Hatsu.

"I'm afraid where the princess goes, we must go too," Hatsu said.

"I'm afraid they are the rules. No shinobi are permitted to be in the same room as His Eminence," Delar said, not backing down.

Hatsu was about to protest, but Fiona stopped him. "That is understandable. I trust she will be safe under your watch," he said, allowing his aura to flare just a little, causing a chill to run down Delar's spine. "Fine, why, yes, you have my word that no harm will befall the princess," he said, feeling a little uneasy at the way Fiona had just looked at him.

"Don't worry, Captain Yuki. Nothing will happen to me here. The Daimyo and my father go way back," the princess said, not seeming worried in the slightest.

They soon arrived at a set of rather large doors that had two guards stationed at them. They instantly came to attention at the arrival of their commander and the others. "Please allow me to escort you inside, princess," Doar said as he nodded for the guards to open the large doors. The princess nodded. "How kind of you," she said before turning to Fiona. "Don't worry, Captain Yuki, I won't be too long," she said, giving him a wink.

Fiona nodded while he and the others all had to wait outside under close surveillance by the palace guards. It was understandable; no Daimyo would want shinobi from a foreign nation to be in the same room with them. It came with too many risks. Fiona was sure the princess would be safe. After all, he had already swept the room for any traps in the early hours of the morning. If the Daimyo wanted to harm her, he wouldn't do it here.

Time passed relatively slow as Fiona and his teen waited for the princess to finish her meeting with the Daimyo. They had been taken to a waiting room and served some tea. Fiona expected that they would be chatting for a while, mostly boring subjects, he was sure. Hatsu was also getting impatient, and Ozawa had fallen asleep on one of the comfy chairs in the room. Fiona had allowed Kaga and Saano to head into the city so they could scope out the surroundings, making sure nothing was happening while their attention was focused on the palace. They also had the job of preparing the princess's caravan for travel once she was done with the meeting.

After a few hours, the princess had finally finished in her negotiations with the Daimyo. The doors opened, and she walked out with her servants. Fiona and his team were all present and bowed as she came closer.

"Evening, princess. I hope your reception went well," Fiona said.

The princess smiled. "You could say that. It's always the same with politicians; they just chatter on and on, in love with the sound of their own voice."

Fiona nodded and turned to escort the princess out of the palace. "My orders are to escort you back to the Land of Water without delay, princess. I have already prepared your transport and all of your belongings for the apartment complex," Fila said.

The princess nodded. "Very good. I'm rather tired now, so I shall retire to my carriage," she said, smiling at him.

Once outside of the palace, the princess bid farewell to the adviser of the Daimyo and captain of his guard, who had also escorted them to the exit. The princess was then helped into her carriage by Sano and joined by Ozawa, who would stay by her side. Just like the journey to the capital, Fet gave the order, and the princess's caravan started to head out, leading the city behind as they made their way back into the desert. It was midafternoon now, the sun still high in the sky, and the caravan was making good progress. So far, Fiona and his team had not detected anything out of the ordinary. The only thing they had come into contact with was a group of civilians traveling to the capital themselves. Hatsu had the lead once again, using his sensory abilities to assess for threats. Ozawa was with the princess inside of her carriage, keeping a close eye on her. Kaga had the port side, and Saano had the starboard, once again chatting to some of the female maids to pass the time. Fiona had the rear so he could keep an eye on everything.

The princess had told him that she had spoken to the Daimyo about the assassins from the Hidden Sand, which he had declared he knew nothing about. He had warned that his relationship with the current Kazekage was tenuous at best, given the current circumstances and times. He had given his word that he had nothing to do with it, and if anything else happened, he would not stand by the Kazekage in trying to start a war with the Land of Water. Fiona wouldn't feel safe until they were out of the Land of Wind, even if the Daimyo had granted them safe passage. The Kaza could still act independently and send another kill squad after them. He would have to remain alert until they were out of the Land of Wind, even then, it wasn't a guarantee they would be safe.

"Cap Yuki!" Hatsu shouted quickly, gaining his attention. Fiona dashed to the front, arriving next to him in the blink of an eye. "What is it?" Hatsu he asked, sensing the panic in his voice. Hatsu was frozen with fear. The entire caravan halted due to his lead, stopping everyone, wondering what was going on. Hatsu gulped before speaking and pointed into the distance. "Take a look, Captain," he said. Fiona looked into the distance, the sun glinting in his eyes, making it hard to see. He used his hand to help block out the sun, able to make out who.

Stood before them. It can't be. That's the Kazak!

Chapter 24.

"That's the Kazak!" Hatsu shouted, alerting the others around him. In the distance, about 200 meters, stood the Fourth Kazakage. He wasn't alone either, backed up with a squad of four Umu.

"What in the blazes is the Fourth Kazakage doing here?" Hatsu shouted, clearly on guard. Fiona was also on edge. He could think of only one reason that the Kazakage would be here.

"The princess," he said under his breath.

Sano and Kaga had also joined Fiona and Hatsu at the front. "Captain, what do we do?" Kaga asked.

"Try not to seem panicked."

"Why have we stopped?" the princess shouted from further back, clearly outraged.

Fiona took a moment to think of a plan, but he was interrupted as the Kazakage spoke. "I am here for the princess! Give her to me and you may live!" he shouted. He was now only 50 meters away and getting closer by the second.

Fiona didn't have any choice and decided to step forwards to meet the Kazakage head on. He turned to Hatsu just before stepping forth. "Hatsu, on my signal, get the princess out of here as fast as you can. They don't want the others."

"Kaga, tell them to run back to the capital city for shelter. It is their only option."

Hatsu nodded, knowing there was no way they could take the Kazakage head on. Fiona stepped forth and started walking to meet the Kazakage and his team.

He got 20 meters away before one of the Umu shouted over, "That's close enough!"

Fiona stopped, giving a slight bow to the Kazakage before speaking. "Lord Kazakage, my name is Fiona Yuki of the Hidden Mist. We are under the impression that our feudal lords have come to a peace arrangement."

"This is your last chance! Hand over the princess or die!" the Kazakage shouted, clearly not in the mood to chat.

"I can't do that," Fiona said, placing his hand behind his back, giving Hatsu the signal.

"Then die!" the Kazakage roared as he suddenly raised his hands. Fiona didn't have time to react as a tremendous amount of gold dust sprang from the ground, wrapping itself around and encasing him, leaving him unable to move.

The Kazakage didn't even give Fiona any last words as he clenched his hand. The gold dust tightening its grip around him, crushing his body in an instant.

Hatsu and the others watched in horror as the Kazak's gold dust crushed their captain. Hatsu only took a second before he turned around to bark orders. "Everyone run! Run back to the capital!" he shouted, causing sudden panic to set in among the princess's caravan.

"Ozawa, get the princess out of here! Kaga, Sano, we have to hold them off as long as possible!" Hatsu shouted.

Kaga and Sano both nodded, while Ozawa grabbed the princess. "Forgive me for this, princess," she said as she picked her up and dashed off with her over her shoulder as quickly as possible. The princess had also watched what had happened to Fiona, frozen and unable to speak as she was suddenly whipped up over Ozawa's shoulder.

"Stop her!" the Kazakage snapped to his Umu, waving his arm at them. The Umu team didn't waste any time and quickly raced after Ozawa and the princess.

Hatsu and Sano jumped to intercept them as quickly as they could, clashing blades with them midair. But one of the Umu slipped right past them as they were unable to stop them.

"Blast it!" Hatsu shouted as he was unable to stop the hidden Sand Umu who was heading after Ozawa and the princess. He and the others had their hands full now, as the Sand Umu were of the same skill as them.

The Kazakage stood with his arms crossed, watching the battle between his Umu and the others unfold. He seemed confident in his men's ability to handle themselves, but decided he didn't want to waste any more time. He raised his arm and started to mold the gold dust that lifted from the sand, preparing it to attack.

At his command, the Kazakage felt a slight shift in the air and decided to trust his instincts, pulling the gold dust back to shield him. Not a second later, five bone bullets hit the shield, almost burrowing their way through before they dropped to the ground next to the Kazakage.

He looked in astonishment to whom his assailant was. To his surprise, Fiona had pulled himself out of the sand where he had been tossed, unharmed.

"You are supposed to be dead!" the Kazakage said in bewilderment.

Fiona completely pulled himself out of the sand, dusting himself off as he did. He had been able to reinforce his entire body with an underlayer of bone that protected him from being crushed by the gold dust.

"I don't know how you are still alive, but you won't be for much longer!" the Kazakage said as he willed his gold dust to attack. A barrage of gold dust assaulted Fiona. Quickly, he flipped and dodged out of the way, jumping and twirling as fast as he could to avoid its grasp.

Fiona wasn't so slow either that he couldn't counterattack, firing off round after round of bone bullets, this time enhanced with lightning style chakra, hoping to pierce the Kazak's defenses. The bone bullets were blocked by the Kazakage, whose gold dust defense seemed almost impenetrable. However, the lightning style enhanced bone bullets were enough to break through the dense gold dust, catching the Kazakage by surprise, forcing him to fight on the defensive.

The Kazakage realized quickly and was able to dodge the bone bullets before hastily slapping his hands onto the ground, causing a colossal wave of gold dust to rise. Suddenly, it was so thick that even with the lightning enhancement, the bone bullets could not penetrate it, and Fiona stood by helplessly.

"Gold Dust Tsunami!" the Kazakage shouted as the wave traveled towards Fiona, giving him no means of escape. The wave of gold dust heading for Fiona was massive, too big to try and get around, leaving him with only one option. Fiona quickly made the hand signs and jumped back into an ice mirror he had created.

The Kazakage watched as his wave of gold dust crashed down, trapping anything it made contact with, confident that he had buried Fiona under it. "End of the..." he started to say before he was cut off.

Fiona dashed out of his ice mirror that had formed not far behind the Kazakage, attempting to slash his neck, going for the kill with a bone blade. But the Kazakage flipped back out of the way. Gold dust rushed at Fiona from both sides, giving him no means of escape, catching his left arm and right leg in its grasp. Fiona tried to pull free, but its grip was too great.

The Kazakage clenched his fist once again, intent on crushing Fiona's arm and leg, leaving him helpless before he intended to finish him off. Fiona had already prepared for this and encased his entire body in a membrane of bone, virtually rendering him indestructible. The gold dust tightened around Fiona's arm and leg, and he decided it would be best to play along, screaming quickly. He made a few hand signs with his free hand.

The Kazakage, however, noticed the hand signs and leapt into action. "Hand signs with just one hand!" he shouted as his gold dust created a full barricade around him, stopping the sudden ice spikes that attempted to impale him from above. Fiona used the sudden confusion to pull free of the gold dust and flipped backward with superb skill to create some well-needed distance, leaving the Kazakage surprised as his gold dust crushed the ice spikes and circled around him.

"Are you some kind of monster?" the Kazakage asked, confused as to how Fiona had survived being crushed not once, but twice.

Fiona was in a low stance and his senses were working overtime as he tried to come up with a plan of action. "Let's see how you handle this!" the Kazakage shouted as gold dust suddenly burst into the air, creating hundreds of razor-sharp needles.

"Gold Dust Shower!"

Fiona reacted sharply, forming hand signs at a rapid rate. "Ice Style: Dancing Blades Jutsu!" Fiona shouted as three large blades of ice formed around him. Fiona dashed, moving as fast as he could, heading towards the Kazakage and into the storm of gold dust needles. His only chance was to force the Kazakage to fight head-on, where he held the advantage.

The gold spikes rained hell down upon Fiona, his eyes swords working overtime as they danced around his body, deflecting storm after storm of the never-ending attack. The Kazakage was outraged that Fiona was able to counter his attack, and he knew exactly what he was trying to do. "Don't think it will be that easy!" he shouted.

Gold dust smashed down into the ground as the Kazakage attempted to crush Fiona with it. Fiona was quickly able to dodge and flip, avoiding the large quantities that tried to halt his movement, while his ice swords continued to deflect any and all projectiles that came his way. Fiona was extremely agile, flipping and moving with expert skills to avoid the Kazakage's attacks, slowly getting closer and closer.

"Digital Shrapnel!" Fiona shouted, firing his bone bullets in an attempt to counterattack.

The Kazakage jumped high into the air, avoiding Fiona's attack and landed on a pile of his gold dust that hovered in the air. "You insolent brat!" the Kazakage shouted as he crossed his arms over his chest. To his surprise, ice mirrors started to form all around him.

"Feeling a reflection appearing in all of them?"

"What is this?" the Kazakage said as he created several rings of gold dust around his body, each spinning violently.

"Ice Style: Crystal Ice Mirrors," Fiona said, the words echoing around the dome.

The Kazakage stood atop his gold dust platform, hovering in the air. He had already noted that he was trapped inside this Jutsu, and with it being in the air, there was no escape. "You were waiting for me to take to the air," he said, impressed.

Fiona didn't answer, keeping in the safety of his crystallized mirrors as he watched the Kazakage trying to anticipate his next move.

"Move!" the Kazakage had been right. Fiona had been waiting for him to take to the air. He already knew his fighting style would be similar to his son's, Gaara. Fiona had determined that if he could trap him in the air, away from the sand, that would be his best chance at defeating him.

Meanwhile, Hatsu, Kaga, and Sano were locked in fierce combat with the Hidden Sand Umu. Each of them wore the demon masks of Sand, and each of them was strong within their own right.

Kaga had been pressed on the defensive by the Sand Umu he was fighting. They were in equal size and speed, making it an even match. The Sand Umu was using a black ninjato sword to fight; his skill with the weapon was impressive to say the least. Kaga ducked under one slash and parried another with his kunai before being forced to block another strike. The two locked blades face to face before Kaga planted, spinning quickly, delivering a heel kick. The Sand Umu was able to avoid the attack, and the two took a moment to study the other before making another move.

Kaga reached his hand into his weapon pouch on his hip, pulling out a scroll. Using his thumb, he unclipped the seal and pulled it open, creating a poof of white smoke before a large sword appeared. Taking the blade in his hand, Kaga leapt into action, slicing down at the Sand Umu's head as hard as he could. The Umu sidestepped the attack, and the sudden exchange of blows began as sparks flew off the blades as they clashed.

Hatsu was also having his fair share of trouble dealing with his opponent. If he wasn't mistaken, it was the female Umu who had escaped them the last time. Clearly, she had returned back to report her mission of failure, bringing more reinforcements along with the Kazakage himself. She was quick, not wasting any time in attacking Hatsu with everything she had. Hatsu blocked her kick with his forearm, striking back with a punch that she slapped away before spinning, shooting with a crescent kick. Hatsu ducked under the kick, planting his own front kick into her chest, sending her flying back and crashing into the sand.

"Now you're mine!" Hatsu shouted as he quickly made a few hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" he said, letting the large ball of fire loose from his mouth. The female Umu performed a kip-up with great skill before flipping over the fireball that was headed right for her. She sailed through the air gracefully and through a barrage of shuriken and kunai at Hatsu, which he was able to deflect with his own kunai, or so he thought.

The Sand Umu pulled her hands through the air, her fingers spread wide as if she was pulling on strings. Hatsu noticed too late that she was in fact pulling on chakra threads that were connected to the kunai and shuriken she had thrown at him. All of the projectiles suddenly launched at him from every angle, each sinking into his body, riddling him full of razor-sharp edges.

Sano was trapped in a test of strength with his opponent, who was a large man with bigger arms than Sano. Both of them had their fingers interlocked, each trying to overpower the other.

"Give up, little man," the Hidden Sand Umu said as he gained the advantage, pushing Sano down to his knee.

"Never!" Sano shouted through gritted teeth, pulling back. Sano planted his foot into his opponent's body and rolled backward, flipping him over with a sacrifice throw that sent him flying into the air. The Sand Umu flipped in the air and landed on his feet, tossing several kunai at Sano as he did to distract him. Sano ducked under the kunai, landing in a press-up position before jumping back to his feet. He noticed that the Sand ninja was making hand signs, and he didn't like the look of them.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets!" the Umu shouted before taking a deep breath and then exhaling several small blasts of wind chakra. They hit their mark, and Sano was blasted back, hitting the ground hard, his flak jacket being torn to shreds. He hit the ground hard, looking at his body to try and assess the damage.

"That's going to leave a bruise or two," he said with a groan. He quickly rolled to the side, his eyes almost popping out of his skull as the Sand Umu landed, plunging his sword into the sand where Sano had just been. The Sand Umu turned quick for his size, slashing down again and again, trying to cut Sano in half. Sano was doing his best to avoid and deflect the Sand Umu's attack, dodging, he rolled back before he blocked a downward strike with his kunai. The weight of the Sand Umu's attack was heavy and forced Sano's hand into his shoulder as he tried with all his might to push the attack away.

"Time to die!" the Sand Umu said as wind style chakra suddenly enveloped his blade. Sano's face bursting with the realization that he was in serious trouble. The wind style chakra blade cut straight through Sano and his kunai with ease. Sano's blood scattering on the hot sand beneath him as he fell to the ground, devoid of life.

The Kazakage was trapped within Fiona's crystallized mirrors Jutsu, his rings of gold dust still spinning around him, ready to defend from any incoming attacks. Fiona didn't want to waste any time talking and decided his best bet was to attack at full force. He zoomed from mirror to mirror at such speed he wasn't even visible, each time firing a round of bone bullets enhanced by lightning style chakra. The Kazakage had compressed his gold dust so that it was hard enough to defend against the lightning enhanced bone bullets, each of them smashing into the gold dust with an explosive thud.

The Kazakage was doing well to defend against the onslaught of attacks coming from Fiona, who appeared to be almost teleporting from mirror to mirror, but the Kazakage was soon forced into a full defensive posture and pulled his gold dust to cover his entire body in a sphere. Fiona stopped attacking for the time being, wondering what he was planning.

"If my lightning style won't work, then maybe ice style!" Fiona shouted as he appeared on top of the gold dust sphere, stabbing a giant bone blade he had created from fusing multiple bones together until they took the shape of a sizable twisted lance head. The bone blade struck the gold dust, piercing it about halfway through. Fiona wasn't trying to break the defense; instead, he had infused his ice release into his bone blade, allowing it to freeze almost anything it struck. The gold dust reacted on defense, and spikes rose up trying to impale Fiona. However, before they could reach him, the gold dust froze as the ice began to surround the entire sphere.

Inside the gold dust sphere, the Kazakage was focusing all of his chakra to keep the defense up against Fiona's lightning style. Suddenly, he could feel a chill all around him as his gold dust started to freeze. The ice slowly making its way to his feet. He became enraged that he was being put on his toes by Fiona and decided it was time to get serious.

"Don't underestimate the Kazak!" he shouted as dark circles appeared around his eyes. A humongous amount of gold dust suddenly burst through Fiona's crystallized mirrors, shattering them under the weight. Fiona was quickly forced on the defensive as he tried to jump away but was swarmed on all sides, making escape next to impossible, and the gold dust wrapped itself around Fiona, trapping him and squeezing tightly.

"You have been a thorn in my side long enough, boy! This time you won't escape!" the Kazakage said as he clapped his palms together. "I'm going to bury you under this desert for eternity!" he shouted, letting his chakra explode. The gold dust started pulling Fiona down into the sand at a steady pace. His entire body was trapped, apart from his face, helpless to do anything other than watch as the Kazakage smirked in triumph.

Fiona's problem wasn't being crushed to death; thanks to his bones being reinforced, he didn't have to worry about that. His concern was now his air supply.

"This is your end!" the Kazakage said just before Fiona took a large breath, his face descending into the hot sand. Fiona was starting to panic now. He continued to sink lower and lower into the sand as the gold dust pulled him down. The weight was starting to get more intense, and if not for his Kyuubi Chakra, he would have been crushed already.

"What do I do?" he thought to himself, panic setting in now as he was running out of ideas.

"Calm yourself, Fiona," Sain's voice suddenly said. Fiona closed his eyes to the darkness of the underground, entering his inner psychic, coming face to face with Sain.

"Fiona, you must remain calm and try not to panic," Sain said.

Fiona waved his arms in the air. "How am I supposed to remain calm when I have been buried alive?" he shouted, still panicking. He turned to Sain with a desperate look on his face.

"We have to enter Tailed Beast State. It's the only way to free us from this pressure," Fiona said, thinking about it hard.

Sain chuckled, his large head. "You know we can't do that yet; we still need more practice."

"The Six-Tails!" Fiona objected but was suddenly pulled out of his inner psychic as his air supply took a severe dive. "I'm almost out of air! My lungs are burning!" how, he thought to himself as his world slowly turned even darker than it already was. His memories started to flash over in his mind, memories of his previous life in the real world, how he was shot and killed, being reborn into this world.

"I don't want to die again!" Fiona felt a sudden burst of life as he repeated the words, his conviction to live becoming stronger. "I won't die here!"

Fiona started to concentrate hard, allowing his chakra to spill out all around his body. He had to focus extremely hard, allowing every chakra point to dispel chakra at the same time, managing to form a small layer of ice around his entire body, freezing the gold dust around him, giving him just enough room to make a few hand signs.

"I won't let this be the end!"

"Summoning Jutsu!" Fiona shouted as he slapped his bleeding hand onto a small layer of ice.

The Kazak stood with an assertive, victorious posture, having watched Fiona sink into the sand below, trapping him under the weight of the desert. He was confident he was rid of him for good. The Kazakage could feel the sand beneath his feet start to shift. The vibration started to get stronger and stronger until the Kazakage felt the sand suddenly burst beneath him, forcing him to jump high into the air to avoid what followed.

A huge white Yeti roared as it burst from the sand, its breath freezing anything it touched. The Yeti landed hard, causing the sand beneath it to cast K before it settled back down, giving another mighty roar, focusing its gaze on the Kazakage.

"What on Earth is that thing?" the Kazakage said, not believing his eyes as he noticed Fiona stood on top of its head.

"Good job for you!" Fiona said to the large Yeti. "Looks like you're in a tough spot with this one. I will do what I can to aid you!" Fuyu shouted as he leapt into attack.

The Kazakage took a breath before allowing his gold dust to explode all around him. "You insolent brat! I thought I already told you, don't underestimate the Kazak!" he shouted as gold dust erupted in such a humongous wave that it towered over Fuyu.

"Here we go!" Fuyu shouted as he roared, using his icy breath to freeze the gold dust before crashing his fist through it in chunks of ice, smashing into the ground. Wave after wave of gold dust attacked as Fuyu continued to freeze and smash it. The Kazakage was flying in the air on his gold dust glider, using all of his focus to try and surround Fuyu with it all, while dodging in and out of the rain of icicles.

Fuyu jumped into the air, spinning rapidly as he did, shooting large icicles in every direction, freezing anything they came into contact with. Yet more gold dust took its place as Fuyu continued to battle wave after wave. "Again! It's never ending!" Fuyu shouted as he smashed yet another frozen wave of gold dust with his massive fist.

"You need to distract him! Break his concentration so I can get close to him!" Fuyu shouted. Gold dust wrapped around his neck and his arm as it tried to pull him to the ground.

"I'm on it!" Fiona shouted as he started to form hand signs as fast as possible.

"Get to it then!" Fuyu shouted as he used his ice breath to freeze the gold dust wrapped around his arm, breaking it, and then doing the same to the gold dust around his neck before tackling yet another wave.

The Kazakage was using all of his strength, gliding around in the air as he avoided huge chunks of frozen gold dust, one after the other, as he continued to attack with all his might. "I am the Yame Kazakage! The likes of you will not defeat me!" he roared, raising his hands up, drawing as much gold dust as he could gather. The gold dust responded to the Kazak's command as it continued to rise and rise until it towered so high that it made Fuyu look small.

"This is it! You're finished!" the Kazakage shouted as he clasped his hands together before pulling them apart as if they were stuck together, molding the gold dust with his chakra. The massive tower of gold dust suddenly started to rain hellfire as huge missiles of reinforced gold dust fired in a volley so vast that it blocked the sun out.

"Not good!" Fuyu shouted as he attempted to avoid as many gold dust missiles as he could, but there were just too many, and the unrelenting barrage quickly blasted him into the ground. At the last second, Fuyu grabbed Fiona and tossed him high above the storm of gold dust. "I have done all I can. The rest is up to you," Fuyu said before vanishing in a large poof of white smoke.

Fiona had finished his hand signs while still flying through the air. He formed an ice mirror and slipped into it, looking back just before he did. "Thank you, Fuyu," Fiona said, disappearing into the ice mirror. Quickly, he slipped out of another ice mirror and flew through the air with tremendous speed, headed right for the Kazakage.

"Eat this!" Fiona shouted as he let the bones in his arm form a massive lance head and infusing it with lightning style chakra. The Kazakage had been so busy attacking the massive Yeti with all of his might that he had failed to notice Fiona take his blind spot.

"When did he...?" he said under his breath as he tried to bring gold dust around his body to form a defensive barrier. At the absolute last second, the Kazakage was able to fire a spear of gold dust that hit Fiona in his stomach, causing him to alter his trajectory by just an inch. His bone length scraping the Kazakage's left arm, knocking him off his gold dust glider into the air.

Fiona and the Kazakage both fell through the air at high speed. Fiona had taken a fair bit of damage from the gold dust spear, as it had managed to break through his bone defense and hit one of his vital organs. The Kazakage had also taken damage from Fiona's attack; his left arm had been cut, leading a deep wound, and thanks to the lightning style, half of his body was currently paralyzed, causing him to free fall alongside Fiona. Still, the Kazakage was able to break his fall with a blanket of gold dust before he hit the desert sand below. Fiona, on the other hand, had not been so lucky and hit the ground at full speed, crashing hard into the sand below.

The Kazakage sat up slowly, holding his left arm with his right hand, trying to stop the bleeding. His gold dust mountain had fallen, crashing to the ground harmlessly in the background. He concentrated hard, using a small amount to wrap around the gash on his arm, squeezing firmly, stopping the bleeding like a tourniquet. He winced before looking over to Fiona, who was starting to pull himself out of the small crater he had created in the sand from his impact. His bones may have been harder than steel, but his insides were not, and the impact from the ground had done damage, not to mention the internal bleeding he was suffering from.

Fiona dragged himself out of the crater, coughing up blood onto the sand as he did, looking over to the Kazakage who was examining him intently. "Why don't you give up? Why won't you just die?" he said as he extended his right arm shakily, his body still a little numb from the lightning style. Gold dust started to creep along the sand, making its way over to Fiona, slowly covering his body, wrapping him up once again, ready to crush him.

"Looks like you're out of tricks this time," the Kazakage said, forcing himself to stand, shaking the effects of Fiona's attack off with sheer willpower. Fiona had nothing left now. He was using all of his remaining chakra to try and stop the internal bleeding as well as keep his bones reinforced so that the gold dust didn't crush him. Closing his eyes, he used the last of his energy to enter his inner psyche.

"I don't think I have the strength left to keep fighting," Fiona said, lying on his back in the soft snow that covered the ground in his inner world. He was looking up into the sky, the glow of the moon bringing him some comfort. "You think you can lend me a hand, Sain?" he said, looking over to the Six-Tails who was sat next to him.

"We are one, Fiona. My powers are at your disposal," the Six-Tails said softly as he watched Fiona's eyes start to close.

"Good. I think I'll tag you in for this round, FAA," said before falling unconscious. Sain nodded as he picked Fiona up with one of its tails, placing his body inside the center of its stomach. "Time for you to rest, Fiona. I will take it from here."

Chapter 25.

Kado was engaged in a battle of blades with his opponent, each of them well-versed in the art of kinjutsu. The two of them equally matched, their skills appearing almost identical as the battle was quickly becoming a chess match. Kaga blocked a barrage of attacks before countering with his own, swiping with his large blade. He knocked the Sand Umu across the sand with the weight of his swing. The Sand Umu swiftly flipped back as he dodged a thrust attack by Kaga and then blocked a downward strike aimed at his head. His black manjano holding well under the weight of Kaga's large blade. The two of them locked blades as they pressed all of their weight into each other, coming face to face.

"You can't win," the Sand Umu said before pushing Kaga's blade to the side, trying to take his neck with a quick thrust. Kaga ducked under the blade, time slowing down as the tip of it just missed his nose. Kaga had overextended his lower back and fell to the floor. The Sand Umu taking full advantage as he slashed and thrust his blade down, trying to wound him. Kaga blocked every attack while still on his back, scuffling to his feet before jumping high into the air to avoid another slash at his midsection.

"This guy is fast," he thought to himself as he landed, gaining a fair amount of distance. The Sand Umu twirled his blade with expert skill and flicked it down towards the ground before pointing it at Kaga. "I will take pleasure in serving your head from your body," the Umu said.

Kaga smirked and placed his large blade on his shoulder and extended his free hand, flicking his fingers into his palm twice. "Bring it on."

The two of them charged at one another, clashing blades once again, each trying their best to deliver the decisive blow. Neither of them giving or gaining ground as their swords moved so fast they became a blur. Kaga blocked another thrust from the Sand Umu and countered with a slash to his midsection, but he dodged the attack by jumping off the ground and thrust his blade down at blinding speed. Kaga only just dodged the attack, the Sand Umu's blade slicing Kaga's cheek, just missing his eye. Kaga gripped the back of the blade with his hand before slamming the black Mado into the ground with his own sword in an attempt to disarm his opponent. The Sand Umu was quick to counter as he jumped into the air, slamming his left foot into his face with a roundhouse kick, knocking Kaga flying as he rolled like a rag doll onto the ground before slapping on his back. The Sand Umu pulled his blade from from the ground before twirling it around his back with expert skill and tossed the sword, changing hands before he flipped through the air, slashing down at Kado with a powerful blow. Kaga had only just gotten back up onto one knee and was able to avoid the attack. The Sand Umu didn't stop there as he brought the blade back, slashing at Kaga's head, who flipped back, performing a back hand spring to dodge. Kaga was starting to be pushed on the defensive as he blocked another attack on his back foot, losing more and more ground to the Sand Umu, jumping high into the air, flipping backwards. Kaga landed on a large rock, trying to gain the advantage with the high ground. However, the Sand Umu sliced through the boulder with a mighty swing of his blade, causing the boulder to shatter. Kaga flipping over the Umu as the two locked eyes in an intense stare-off.

"I've had enough of you!" Kaga shouted before charging at the Sand Umu. Kaga jumped into the air, flipping in a 360 spin before bringing all of his weight down into his blade, trying to slice the Umu in half. The two swords clashed, and the weight of Kaga's attack was enough to push the Umu into the ground, flinging up debris into the air around them. The Sand Umu pushed Kata off of him to try and clear some ground, yet Kata quickly rushed back in for more, trying to press on the attack, engaging in another brutal exchange of attacks. This time, Kaga pressed forwards, gaining the advantage as he used his larger sword's weight to his advantage, each blow pushing the Sand U back on the defense. Kaga blocked to counterattack and sliced down, overcommitting to the swipe, leading himself open as the Umu delivered a jumping spinning back kick to his face, knocking him back before he tried another quick thrust attack. Kaga was somehow able to block the attack even as the blood from his nose blinded him. He pushed the Sand Umu back before charging at him once again, giving a battle cry.

"ARG!" Kaga roared, attacking with all his might. Kago went high with his attack, and the Umu ducked under the onslaught, rolling on his hand and as he did before ducking under the second attack. This time he kicked out Kaga's legs, sweeping him to the floor. Kaga hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of him. The Sand Umu didn't give him any time to rest as he thrust his blade down at his head. Koda's eyes almost popping out of his skull as he quickly rolled out of the way. Kaga continued to roll along the ground, dodging thrust after thrust until he bounced onto one knee, leaning back as far as he could, just avoiding a slash that was aimed at his head. The blades skimming Kaga's headband, flinging sparks into the air. Kata countered with a flurry of slashes, and the two of them clashed blades hard, coming face to face again, both of them breathing heavily now as the battle had dragged out, costing them a lot of stamina. Kaga pushed forwards, pressing his shoulder on the back of his large sword, the Sand Umu doing the same as the two of them competed for dominance before both of them jumped backwards, landing in a ready stance.

"It's time to finish this!" they both shouted at the same time, charging towards one another. They clashed blades so fast that they shot past one another. Kad turned quickly, throwing a handful of kunai at the Umu who dodged by jumping high into the air. Kaga threw another set of kunai before jumping into the air, ready to meet the Sand Umu head on. The Sand ninja deflected the kunai in midair and died down his sword raised, prepared to deliver the final blow.

"Die!" they both shouted as they clashed mid-air, each of them landing with their sword stretched, waiting to see who would fall first.

Meanwhile, "You did well, boy, but you were no match for the Kazak," the Kazakage said as his gold dust had fully encased Fiona, now ready to crush him once and for all. Suddenly, a bright light from inside started to burst its way through the layers of gold dust until it fully exploded, freeing the monster that now stood before the Kazakage. Fiona's body was now covered in a dark red, nearly black layer of chakra. He had entered version two of the Tailed Beast State, and all six tails were visible as he locked his eyes onto the Kazakage, snarling at him.

"Aent Chui!" the Kazakage said, confused as he stared at the beast before him. "You really are a monster!" the Kazakage shouted as he jumped back, landing on a gold dust platform that continued to float into the air.

Sain had taken full control of Fiona's body for him while he was unconscious. The fact that Fiona was out of it made things much more comfortable for Sain, as they had never entered version two together, and with Fiona unconscious, Sain didn't have to worry about Fiona's chakra levels dropping, as entering version two required a lot of energy and chakra. But with Fiona asleep, Sain only had to use his own chakra, meaning Fiona could rest while Sain battled for him, a feat not possible while Fiona was conscious.

The Kazakage didn't waste much time before he attacked again, using his gold dust to crash down in a massive wave, trying to capture the beast before him. The gold dust crashed into Sain, and like a massive wave, pulled him under. The Kazakage attempting to trap him before he could counterattack. Suddenly, six enormous red and black chakra tails burst from the sea of gold dust and extended at a rapid rate towards the Kazakage, trying to pierce him. The Kazakage didn't stick around and zoomed on his gold dust glider, avoiding the attacks of the massive tails, flying with expert skill as he ducked under one of the tails. He used his gold dust to redirect another, sending it crashing into one of the other tails before he was forced to jump, spinning in the air to avoid the swipe of another tail.

Sain decided to pull his tails back and burst free from the sea of gold dust, jumping into the air. The Kazak watched as the beast leapt towards him, its claws extended, ready to take his head off. Using his gold dust to grip Sain around his waist, he attempted to launch him back towards the ground, but Sain's body was supple and slipped free of the gold dust. The Kazakage tried to use more and more to get a hold of him, yet Sain jumped and darted away, each time getting closer to the Kazakage until he was within striking range.

"Take this!" the Kazakage shouted as he unleashed a hellfire storm of gold dust bullets, trying to stop the advance of the Six-Tails. Sain had a different idea and spat out a large blast of corrosive alkali to counter the gold dust, causing it to turn soggy and fall out of the sky before melting. The Kazakage did well to avoid the first blast of corrosive alkali, but soon noticed the smirk on Sain's face before he spat more and more of the acid in him. The Kazakage was forced to counter with more and more gold dust, the corrosive alkali rendering the gold dust unusable once it made contact, as Sain continued to fire as much of it as he could.

"Why you!" the Kazakage shouted as a small speck of the acid landed on his black jacket, forcing him to rip it off before the acid burnt through to his skin. He turned to see Sain had gotten behind him, having moved at amazing speed. The beast took a swipe at the Kazak's head, who with a small shield of gold dust blocked the attack. The force of it, however, knocked him flying through the air, causing him to free fall while being chased by Sain, who spat more corrosive alkali in him. The Kazakage flipped and dodged the first blast of acid. He then used a gold dust blanket to block the second burst, but Sain's form suddenly crashed through the melting blanket of gold dust, smashing the Kazakage in the ribs with its razor-sharp claws. To Sain's surprise, the Kazakage turned to gold dust, and the dust wrapped around Sain's arm, holding his frame and the air, stopping his free fall.

"Giant Gold Dust Spear!" the Kazakage shouted from behind as he launched his attack, trying to impale Sain. This time, the Kazakage was surprised. The Six-Tails' body suddenly turned a dark purple in color, wrapping itself around the spear as acid leaked out of its body, melting Kazak's attack. Sain slivered around the melting gold dust before extending its body, trying to slash at the Kazak, this time hitting him with a clean blow, knocking him off his glider, sending him crashing into the desert sand below. Sain smiled at his handywork and dropped back down to the ground, allowing his chakra to turn from purple back to red and black, giving a colossal roar, shaking the very ground as it landed back onto the ground.

"That's the end of this tale for now. Thank you for watching. I appreciate you, and with that being said, I'll see you part two. Peace."