Reborn in the Mist

Zabuza squinted away from the sun, hissing with annoyance as the last of Team 5 stepped up to introduce himself. The large, adult Genin swayed like a bitch at the fair waves their small ship crashed through, nearly toppling back on his flinching teammates.

He righted himself with a sheepish grin and cleared his throat to speak. “My name is…”

Zabuza tuned him out instantly. They’d only left harbour an hour ago and were becoming situated with the leaking, rat infested cabins they were forced to make due of. Already Zabuza had exterminated three rats and was looking forward to roasting them over a pit later for Utakata and perhaps Mangetsu if the grubby punk would give either of them more than a grunt and scowl.

Each team was granted a single cabin to share, fitted with bunks and equipment one would expect of a crew onboard— but that was another jarring realization Ao dropped in their laps when he came gathering them all for a ‘Team Kirigakure self assessment’. While he was granted an entire cabin to himself, Team Kirigakure was expected to share accommodations and also serve as the ship’s crew.

Zabuza wasn’t surprised by this, though the rookie team were loudly appalled about having to do anything that wasn’t generically aligned with the art of the shinobi. Zabuza would have appreciated their strict, swift and vocal wishes for blood and battle if they were worth a lick of salt in the ocean they sailed across.

“Do you have other nature affinities?” Utakata asked the adult Genin in stood in their gathered circle, he flashed a pleased smile and answered.

“Yes, I have an Earth Nature Affinity but I’m not nearly as proficient with it as I am with water. It’s a lot harder for some reason.” The adult Genin scratched the back of his head and shrugged in his ignorance. “However I am very reliable with Water Ninjutsu, I’ll be providing my team both offensive and defensive support!”

Ao stiffly nodded, “If there aren’t any questions then…you, next.”

The only girl from Team 8 took the adult Genin’s spot with an equally shy smile on her face. Zabuza found little worth noting about her, her brown hair was far too long and a disadvantage and she wore a little skirt and top that flatly provided less armour than it did attractiveness— the warm red colours were an effortless match with her sandals and earrings.

“Hello, my name is…”

Zabuza tuned her out instantly, throwing his attention overboard where the waves lapped against the hull, splashing water over. Knowing they’d be performing the duties of the crew, water landing freely overboard wasn’t a good sign.

Have to delegate menial clean up tasks, he thought, eyes trailing over where Mangetsu sat beside Utakata. The entitled piece of shit hadn’t lost that bored look since and Zabuza couldn’t truly blame him, he’d already made his estimations of the so called Team Kirigakure— the introductions weren’t necessary to know who was dead weight and who was worth lending his help during the exams.

Of Team 5 Zabuza was all but certain Akari and Haruka were worth his time, their little tag along adult on the other hand…nothing about him impressed Zabuza just yet, even less when he considered just how long he’d been a Genin.

A chill ran through Zabuza as the thought of remaining a Genin till adulthood invaded his mind. He banished the nightmare just as quickly as it came, but it was quick to ruin his mood anyway. A part of Zabuza held on to the fact that the man was a civilian turned shinobi, those never saw much success in this field but that still couldn’t discredit the fact that he’d been Genin long enough to have the experience of a Chuunin or even Jounin if he got taken on the right missions.

That said, it still appalled Zabuza that a forever Genin like himself would exist and even shamelessly keep retaking the Chuunin Exams.

I’ll leave the village before I’m made that much of a fool. He growled low, earning a questioning look from Utakata as the Team 8 Genin finished listing off the most basic skills any shinobi with a headband ought to have mastered as skills worth taking the Chuunin exams for. Her teammate came up next and he wasn’t much impressive either though his thick, rotund stomach and gas masked cloak and garb marked him as one of the currently controversial Poison Mist clan.

“My name is Tamura, I am of the Poison Mist clan.” Shockingly the moment Zabuza decides to listen, the person speaking has little to say.

Tamura’s hands were stuffed in his pocket and he stood with his chin tucked into his high collar coat, a gas mask obscuring his face. The only thing Zabuza could really go off on judging was his pronounced pot belly.

Don’t know if you can kill someone with a big belly.

“Any questions for Tamura?” Ao asked, receiving an uninterested silence as a response. “Next.”

The next in question was the only member of Team 8 that didn’t have the rookie stench. Tamura was mysterious but this guy…this guy was a Funato.

Wavy orange hair and a strut that meant business. He was properly equipped from head to toe— a high quality tanto was scabbard on his back, he had four weapon pouches attached, hidden throwables in his sandals and the look of a battle hardened fighter with the calmness of mind that was often missing in those.

He took centre stage, arms folded and eyes half-lid at Ao and the rest of them, “My name is Maita Funato, I am a Ninjustu specialist and my chakra natures are Water, Wind, and Fire. I’m here to make Chuunin and help my clan regain its honour, pride and status in Kirigakure.” His eyes sharpened and landed on Mangetsu as he said that last part.

Zabuza hadn’t bothered to make note of anyone’s introduction until now and it went just as well for the reactions to it. The twin Karatachi girls of Team 5 were in swoon over Maita, staring wide-eyed and clearly interested in the young shinobi for his brooding, stoic nature rather than anything else.

He shook his head at them as the little respect he had for them lessened. Frankly they weren’t the only ones staring in awe and admiration, the adult genin was slackjawed, Utakata smiled reservedly and while his teammate’s expressions were obscured, Zabuza certainly noted Tamura’s change of energy. If Zabuza didn’t know any better he’d think Tamura didn’t like Maita very much.

Ao came up to him, his single eye glowered down at the ambitious Funato as he placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “This may simply be an attendance to the Chuunin exams to you but to Team 3 and I it is a mission of vital importance to the Mizukage and all of Kirigakure by extension.” The Byakugan Killer squeezed Maita’s shoulder. “Understand that I will not tolerate any chain of command disturbance, you follow orders, mine, theirs and whoever else's I deem fit. You don’t cause trouble, none of you do.”

“Is that understood?” He demanded of Team 5 and 8

““Yes, Ao-taicho!”” they responded in haste.

“Good, now then, you may all know those among Team 3 but I’ll allow the opportunity to introduce themselves to you.” Ao said, nodded down at Mangetsu. “Hurry it up, there’s work to do.”

Mangetsu moved like a zombie but stood upright once he reached the centre. He mumbled out something that couldn’t be counted as an introduction of any sort and walked back all the while Utakata smiled sheepishly at him.

“Next!” Ao yelled, not by the least concerned of Mangetsu’s non-intro.

Utakata hopped to his feet, truly the only one among Team 3 with a peppy attitude and for good reason— he’d most certainly get his rank back once this excursion was done with. He stood at the centre with a wide grin, swaying side to side as he made sure to look everyone in the eye at least once as he spoke.

“My name is Utakata, I’m a Ninjutsu specialist and while I’ll be one of your supervisors I also wouldn’t mind being your friend! Ask me anything!”

Ao groaned but allowed the floor to open up to questions, one quickly coming from Akari, “You’re the Jinchuriki, aren’t you? The same as Lord Yagura?”

Zabuza’s heart fell alongside Utakata’s smile, this was one topic he loved to avoid discussing with less…considerate people and Zabuza couldn’t call any woman that wasn’t his dead mother considerate.

“Uh, yes, I am.” Utakata said shyly, his eyes zipped through faces, checking for reactions almost instinctively. His legs shifted uneasily as Haruka’s lips parted to ask another question.

“Enough, my turn now. There’s work to do.” Zabuza said, already up on his feet and shooing Utakata back. “My name is Zabuza Momochi, yes, I am the last of my clan and a Kenjutsu specialist. And yes, I will be your supervisor for these Chuunin exams and no, I will not be aiding everyone of you to pass, only those deserving.”

Ao grunted and stood next to Zabuza, “That is exactly the attitude I expect from you, Team 3. Team 5 and 8 are not meant to succeed unless they deserve it, these Chuunin exams are made to filter out those who have the skill to be Chuunin from those who don’t, we won’t undermine it any further than we are by aiding Genin who Team 3 decides doesn’t have what it takes. I hope this distinction is understood.”

A round of mutters escaped the teams and Ao nodded, satisfied for the time being. “Good, now then, it’s time to help the ship’s captain, one of you go find a mop and bucket.”

Zabuza immediately pointed at the Akari, “You, go do that.”