Reborn in the Mist

Fukasa wasn’t anything like he’d imagined while it was a spec on the horizon. He and many of the others were rightfully expecting a small fishing port town with a rundown bar and a single street that cut through and doubled as the prostitutes alley. Instead Fukasa greeted them with its lights long before they even made it to port.

They arrived in the dead of night, well past any reasonable hour and yet Fukasa greeted them like they were expected. A gang of dock boys hurried past each other to help anchor the ship as it came in.

“Welcome to Fukasa!” They said, words muffled by their dust scarves. None wasted time picking out someone to offer something to. “Fine travelers, I’ve got just the place to eat and rest, a bargain for your ryo!”

Food, lodgings, drugs, women and other things dripped from their lips like a broken fountain of promises, if Zabuza weren’t staring at the town one would think it heaven with all the dock boys offered.

“Get away!” The Captain yelled over Zabuza’s shoulder, his breath hot with spirits. “You bastard scum, get away from my ship!”

The man had been a worse recluse than Mangetsu the entire trip, though not entirely by choice. It’d almost been unspoken that the team left matters of their destination and accommodation to Ao and the captain was much included in that. Still, despite the limited interaction it came as a shock to most to find him yelling at the dock boys in the middle of helping them disembark.

One of them helped Akari up onto the dock with her things, Zabuza watched her hastily rifle through her purse for a coin or two before handing it to the boy’s waiting hands. “I’m sorry, he’s a drunk.”

The boy squinted his eyes at her through his scarves, though by the wrinkles squeezing round his eyelids Zabuza would venture a guess most, if not all the dock boys were grown adults. “Drunks aren’t a problem for us either, do you need us to carry him somewhere?”

“No thanks.” Ao said, leaping off the ship once everyone else was semi-organized on the dock. “I think you’ve done enough. All of you.”

Zabuza’s nose crinkled at the look the one-eyed captain gave each of the dock boys, there were four of them, each of them wore clothes that were little more than rags drapped up on more rags, their scarves were the only thing that had any quality and for likely for good reason.

As they chuckled and squeezed through the team to find other opportunities, Zabuza’s eyes followed them into the town. It was fiercely lit and bustling. The dock didn’t have many ships in harbour but the town was full of people, there was that positive thrum of activity in the air even on the outskirts of it.

“Alright team, first things first…we orient ourselves. There are several places to lay our heads for the night but that isn’t priority.” He said, single eye tracking the expressions on their faces and judging them for it. “Follow me.”

Ao took off, speed walking off the docks and away from the beach. A single, plank road led into the shining town, Fukasa greeted with smells of barbecue, the chaotic cheers of a gambling corner and the shady grit of alley criminals foolish enough to snarl at a group of ten shinobi.

Zabuza shook his head and glanced back at the team. Few of them were wearing anything that could be a dead giveaway to their occupation. Utakata and Mangetsu were acting as Genin and weren’t allowed their Chuunin vests, and even Ao who’d ought to have his Jounin vest had cycled through a similar looking pair of coats, trousers and sandals.

Maybe we wouldn’t be seen as shinobi but dangerous at the very least, Zabuza thought, looking over at Mangetsu trudging up beside Utakata, his trusty blade was strapped to his back, alongside two weapon pouches. Zabuza was similarly equipped, his wakizashi strapped to his back with three weapon pouches tied around his thighs.

The others weren’t exceptions either, weapon pouches at the very least were visible for anyone with eyes to see, though, as they passed by another red-lit alleyway and bore brief witness to a mugging, he was beginning to doubt how much the obvious would discourage.

“I have a bad feeling about this place.” Zabuza whispered to Utakata.

The young jinchuriki yawned so wide and loud he got Mangetsu doing it too. “Me too, but we’ll only be here for the night.”

“I don’t think so.” Mangetsu said.

“Huh? You don’t think what?” Zabuza asked.

He tossed a drowsy scowl at Zabuza, his eyes heavy with disturbed rest. “That we’ll be here for the night…” He trailed off, eyes purposely leading Zabuza to Ao’s back.

That didn’t explain nearly enough but Zabuza was too tired to force an explanation. They’d prepared to dock at Fukasa in the morning, not at night, but the drunk sailor and the sea had other plans. A combination of poor sleep timing, rending waves and sunlight brought the entire Team Kirigakure to a state of lethargy.

If we aren’t staying the night then… Zabuza tried his best to think up what else there was to do in the town asides rest to little success and contented himself with just moving his feet on autopilot behind Ao.

At last, Ao began to slow down as they left the commercialized districts behind for Fukasa’s attempt at civil living. A rundown clinic sat opposite a completely abandoned police station and down the warm lit street was the starting of a neighbourhood. Zabuza caught a glimpse of something reminiscent of a playground; it too was abandoned, metal of slides and monkey bars rusted beyond the patience of any child.

“Wait here.” Ao said, gesturing vaguely at the benches underneath every other street lamp. “I’ll go searching for our contact and return here, don’t move.”

He didn’t wait for an affirmative before leaping off onto the rooftops. The team let out a collective groan the moment after, Akari and Haruka quickly relieved their shoulders of their bags, while Maita and Tamura’s conversation about the prostitute alleys grew louder.

Zabuza found a spot by the floor to sit once the bench was full and his teammates soon joined him, Mangetsu stood hovering with his backpack still on and his teeth grit as he stared out in the direction Ao left. Utakata sat beside Zabuza, groaning as he did even though he was the least tired of them all.

Zabuza had taken to watching Utakata, studying him for weaknesses and strengths to turn to his advantage at a later sparring session. From all his analysis Zabuza came to a single bottomline truth he expected would be the same for the Mizukage himself— being a Jinchuriki meant being energetic.

Even now Utakata smiled as he ate the last piece of roasted fish from his bag. He moaned at its sweetness, throwing his head up at the sky, “This is still so good, can’t believe we caught a out there, what luck!”

Mangetsu winced, his teeth gritting becoming more intense with each word spoken around him. Zabuza eyed his rival as he paced back and forth, hands twisting and rubbing against his backpack’s straps.

“Wanna take a seat?” Zabuza asked, leaning well against the cold wall.

Mangetsu turned, his face twisted with emotion as his eyes darted between his seated teammates and the wall he was being invited to sit at. He shook his head, “I don’t want to be near graffiti.”

It was a ridiculously poor excuse for his unease but Zabuza accepted it anyway. The walls were stained with all sorts of graffiti, the abandoned police station most of all was scribbled over with what Zabuza could only assume were the calling signs and territorial markers for the gangs that ran these neighbourhoods.

The street itself was a wide hallway where few upstanding looking people strolled through. Where they sat was an inbetween point for the rowdier Fukasa and the part of the town trying to live up to modern civilized standards. In Zabuza’s opinion, Fukasa was heavily leaning on its underbelly, there was far more road traffic going into it than out and those that came out strode with the self assurance and confidence of a man well at home.

“Police station’s dead, the clinic is about to be as well and the most active parts of the town are near the docks where…the whores and gamblers are.” Zabuza muttered as he continued to scan their surroundings.

“Hahaha!” Team 5’s adult Genin laughed, suddenly approaching them. “You’d be surprised to find the town isn’t much different on the inside.”

Mangetsu’s frown seemed to entrench itself at the man’s approach but it was directed at Maita who trailed behind him that incensed him so much. “I’m going for a walk.” Mangetsu said.

“Wait! Ao-taicho said we should wait here for him, he doesn’t want to go looking for us for a reason, Mangetsu.” Utakata called after the annoyed prodigy.

“That’s right.” Maita Funato said, stepping out from behind the adult Genin, hands stuffed in his pockets and a large smirk rising against his cheeks. “Or are you running from something?”

What?

“What?” Mangetsu voiced Zabuza’s confusion. “You’re not speaking to me are you?”

The air was suddenly laden with a weight that hadn’t been there before. Mangetsu leered up at the otherwise towering Funato, his hands for once were free of his back straps and Zabuza found them creeping towards his cargo side pockets.

Maitas’s obnoxious grin turned foul instantly,his sneer. “Yes! You damned water breeding son of scum!”

A pair of kunai flashed in Maita’s hands a split second before Mangetsu lurched at him full throttle, freshly whet tanto sliding out of his sheath as his chakra burst. All thought of pardonable restraint abandoned.

Zabuza cursed his languid body and mind, by the time he’d started moving it was already too late to stop Mangetsu from murdering the stupid boy right there. A dash of wind swished past Zabuza— Utakata!

Relief swelled in his chest as Utakata disarmed Mangetsu with a swish of his pipe and a warding kick to the chest. Mangetsu jumped just out of reach to barely be damaged but Maita still roared forward, barreling at Utakata with a redirected intent to kill.

But then his kunai grew hot, melting red in all but an instant. Maita yelped to a halt, flinging the kunai at the worn concrete floor where it melted into a heap and began to cool.

“I believe that’ll be enough.” An authoritative female voice called from halfway across the street.

She was a cloaked figure and even had her hood up, only her painted toenails poking through her sandals and her voice gave her gender away. The furious one-eyed man marching beside her was the only other indication that she was Sunagakure shinobi.

The Suna-nin pulled back her hood, revealing fair skin and tea green hair tied in a frazzling bun, she had two bangs drooped around her face, each dyed orange at their tips. She grimaced down at Maita, the poor fool was literally sucking his scalded thumb. “Sorry, you looked like you wanted to kill your…friend here? I’d prefer to keep our guests from dying before they arrive, if that’s okay with you.”

Zabuza stared intently even as Ao pushed past her and unleashed a wave of brutal killing intent on Maita. “What have I said…!”

The scolding went on though Maita Funato looked hardly pressed to change, even under Ao’s hard gaze Zabuza caught the murderous genin’s rising defiance as he continued to glare at Mangetsu.

“I didn’t hit you too hard did I?” Utakata asked as Mangetsu sheathed his tanto.

“No.” He rolled his eyes and folded his arms, nodding at the Suna-nin standing on the sidelines with an awkward yet polite smile while Ao went at it with Maita. “That’s Pakura of the Sand.”

“Pakura of the Scorch Release to be exact.” Utakata said with a touch of awe in his voice. “Can’t believe she’s here.”

Haruka giggled behind them and said in a hush, “Where else would she be? This is Wind Country.”

Utakata took on a blush and grinned. “Just excited I guess.”

“Me too, she looks as hot as they said.” Akari added, her eyes glued to the Suna-nin waiting for Ao to be done. Pakura glanced their way and Akari’s eyes quickly found her feet.

Zabuza didn’t know who Pakura was and held his judgement. Her disarming of Maita was certainly impressive but he figured any other Jounin could accomplish such. In his eyes at the moment, she was a competent shinobi, more than himself at least but not yet worth the awe and admiration the others allotted.

But even Utakata seems swayed… That alone gave her more credit than he ordinarily would have.

“I’m sorry you had to witness that.” Ao said once Maita was well and disciplined. “You know how it is with these young ones, always looking for an opportunity to prove themselves. Even if no one that matters is watching.”

Pakura put on a genuine smile and glanced at the arranged Team Kirigakure as she and Ao stood before them. “Oh I understand. You’ll all get a chance to prove your skill, not only will I be your guide to Sunagakure, I will also be the Proctor for the first exam, I’ll be watching.”

Most of the team seemed to take that as a good thing. Zabuza was indifferent to it; the only eyes he cared watching him now were that of the Fourth Mizukage, and he wouldn’t be here until the third exam.