Reborn in the Mist

I couldn't believe the first time I was having this conversation was with Kaizoku of all people. I had wanted to speak with Uncle about it but the urge to get stronger exploded the moment I sensed…fragility that the Akatsuki or any number of my growing enemies could threaten. I just couldn't wait.

The strength I have now just isn’t enough.

Kaizoku chuckled boisterously. His arms behind his back, he paced in front of me and shook his head with a grin even wider than the one he wore while we fought. “Ah fatherhood! I know the pride all too well. Be excited!”

He glanced at me and saw the constipated look on my face and his grin fell out just a bit. He took a step forward towards me, showing a rare form of concern and emotion I didn't think the great serpent sage was capable of feeling. "What's wrong? Are you worried they might come out malformed?"

Malformed? Where does he even get such an idea? I shook my head, too tired to bother deciphering or arguing the great sea serpent's oddities. I simply accepted them and hopefully along with it any potential good advice he had. I wasn't even sure what I was looking for but I answered.

“No no, I'm not afraid of that. I am afraid they will be taken away from me, that my enemies will seek to hurt them and that one day they will succeed.”

Kaizoku almost snorted at my fears. He went back to pacing back and forth, his grin returning slowly, as he shrugged. “Oh, worry not. A child is but one. Children, those are many, and you shall have many, will you not? Losing one is like, uh... losing a limb or a finger. I'm not sure what to compare it to to soothe you, but if your enemies do seek to hurt them, and perhaps given how fragile you are, they might indeed succeed. You should not put too much stock on the first of many offspring.”

Okay, it seems I might have to give a rundown of how human procreation works after all. I sighed, craning my neck to the side to let out a row of cracks.

“Humans don't work like that Kaizoku,” I said watching him pace “Our children are precious especially those we bear with those we love…the ones we choose to love. And witj Mei…I do love her and she loves me. I wouldn't bear to see any child of ours dead because I was too weak to protect them.”

I also had other concerns, concerns much less than my own weakness. For one, Mei didn't know she was pregnant, at least I didn't think she was aware. The ANBU, it seemed, had ancient orders from the first Mizukage to monitor each and every one of his concubines within his harem. I didn't know of this, but Mei and a number of women in my life were being treated as potential members of my own harem and were monitored just as well.

It hurt in an odd way, getting the news from an agent rather than from the one I loved, the one I would have this child with instead. It came like another mission dossier, an agent, kneeling before me and asking what I wished them to do about it. Like there was an option where I ask them to terminate it or something. I shook my head away from those thoughts and focused on the more pressing matter.

“I need to be able to protect my offspring, as you say. Even if it's just the one. They're precious to me, Kaizoku. I need to get stronger. That's why I'm here today. That's why I'll be here for as long as it takes to master all the techniques,” I said.

Thinking to the [Dance of the Serpent], it was unfortunate that it would require me to transform in such an uncomfortable manner, but I would master it to the best of my ability even without those changes. I needed Kaizoku to keep up with my training and be a little better of a teacher. I looked up at him and as I stood up to my feet, twirling my Bo-staff in my hand.

“So, could you at least tell me what exactly you're doing with the Riptide step?”

The ancient Sea Sage in human form leered at me, his eyes promising exactly what I sought from him in the same way they'd been when I first came upon him with the summoning scroll. Kaizoku's eyes glowed with power and promise. His grin remained as always as he nodded and opened his palms towards me.

“Of course, young Sea Sage. I will teach you my ways. Are you ready to begin again?” I nodded, but this time I thought to ask a little bit more theory before practical.

“How exactly are you doing what you're doing? And how can I do it myself?”

Kaizoku raised a brow at me, and I felt his mood shift from excited to confused and partially disappointed as he asked, "Have you not already figured it out? I thought that was what you were attempting to do before we paused.”

I squinted my eyes at him, and truth be told, I had begun to figure out some parts of the Riptide Step to test my theory, or at least what I knew of what Kaizuku was doing. I gathered as much Sage Chakra within me and directed its power towards my calves and foot, bolstering my muscles as well as my bones. But that was just an enhanced defense, I figured that this would at least be the first step in using such a spontaneous technique as recoil alone could damage the user.

I thought back to what I'd experienced and sensed Kaizoku perform while we fought around the chamber. I'd especially noted that he inserted quick but significant bursts of Sage Chakra into his feet muscles the moment he chose to shimmer away. I tried that, but all I got from my efforts was a blast of water as I shot up nearly twenty feet in the air.

Kaizoku broke out in laughter, rearing his head back as he shook and trembled with mirth. "Interesting, interesting," he muttered as I landed. "Would you want to give it another try? But perhaps in battle?" I wasn't keen on that. It was erratic as it was, shooting me up so far into the air, but at the same time I could at least sense that the force applied was the same, or at least the equivalent as what Kaizoku used.

This was a rudimentary method of chakra enhancements. Something someone like the Sannin would employ in their techniques. Tsunade immediately came to mind, and yet her techniques weren’t as graceful or as seamless as what Kaizoku performed right before my eyes. I bit my lip and held back the urge to jump into battle blindly only to get my ass beaten by a giant serpent who likely hadn't had a strong opponent to stretch his limbs against. I wasn't about to be his punching bag.

He seemed to sense my resistance as his shoulder slacked and he shook his head in disappointment. "Oh why be so frightful, young Sea Sage? I am merely giving you a chance to see its utility first hand and to experience what your enemies, the ones you so fear will be the undoing of your offspring, will experience at your hands.”

I had to admit that that explanation was a good one and I could at least take pride in imagining someone like the Raikage flinching at someone else possibly matching his speeds. That said, the Raikage was much faster than this, much faster. But this would allow me to keep up enough to take him by surprise should he ever become a threat I needed to face in battle. There weren't many faster opponents and a solution like the Riptide Step would deter any wannabe assassin or Jinchuriki hunters.

I didn't know how much it would do to put off the interest or at least inspire respectable fear in those of the Akatsuki, especially figures like Nagato, Obito, and others. Still I stood my ground and once again, like I always did with Kaizuku, negotiated:

“How about you tell me exactly what you're doing and how I can replicate it myself and then we battle on more or less equal footing?”

Kaizuku reared his head back, slick eyebrows raised up in doubt at me. “On equal footing, eh? That remains to be seen. As avoidant as you are to learn the Dance of the Serpent…I will show you what a full use of my sage techniques would allow you to achieve against your enemies.” The great Sage hummed for a moment before deciding with a click of his tongue. “Very well! I will tell you how to achieve the Riptide Step with ease. Your first mistake is thinking that Sage Chakra is all you need. Have you not been fighting me with your will over the water?"

I blinked. It was so obvious the moment he said it that I almost wondered why he bothered asking. The will of water. An innate ability I abused freely thanks to my high affinity with the nature transformation. I already had a significant affinity for the elemental nature even before I learned to become a Sea Sage, but adding that only exponentially increased my affinity and even during this battle I’d used it to my benefit, creating whips, dragons, and sharks with little effort.

It must have been the same with Kaizoku. He saw my thoughts and nodded, beckoning me to come at him. “Are you prepared to experience the true fury a Sea Sage can unleash upon his enemies?”

For the first time since the Anbu alerted me about Mei's pregnancy, I felt completely elated. I spun my Bo-staff and levied it at him. “I am ready. Come at me with all you've got, Kaizoku.”