Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto. The only things I own are my OCs and I gain nothing from writing this story besides the pleasure.

Warnings: Language, more specifically, the F-bomb being dropped pretty often. Mild depiction of dismemberment and murder.

.Scarlet Waters - Chapter Eight - Survival Training.

"Thank you! Come again!"

He muttered a word of thanks, intent on getting back to Onishi-san and dropping off the groceries she'd requested he get for her. The money she promised him was just enough to buy the cheapest shuriken and kunai practice set and he needed it if he wanted to keep up with everyone else and become stronger.

Throwing his hood over his head and zipping up his jacket, he stepped out into the dreary, rainy streets of Kiri and proceeded on his way.

After a couple of minutes, he quickened his pace, anxious to get back to his elderly neighbor and retrieve his award. He wanted to make it to the supply store before closing time so that he could begin practicing tonight. Catching sight of his usual shortcut to his apartment complex, he ducked into the alley nestled between a restaurant and bookstore.

CLANG!

He stopped abruptly at the sound, head tilting to the side as he squinted into the dimmed alley. Another sharp CLANG made him jump ever so slightly and he took a hesitant step forward, clutching the paper bag closer to his chest.

"H-hello?" He called out uncertainly, mentally preparing himself if the need to protect himself arose. "I-Is someone there?"

There was no answer, merely another loud noise along with some minor rustling. Meizu gulped, moving to turn on his heel and flee but he faltered when he realized how much of a wimp he was being.

He didn't have anything to be afraid of! He was training to become a ninja! If anything, people should be afraid of him!

With a small huff, he squared his shoulders and marched into the dank alleyway. The metallic ringing and scuffling became louder as he drew closer to the source of the noise and the younger twin nibbled on his lip nervously as a shadow began to form in the darkness in front of his eyes.

Then...

He stopped.

Because, out of the shadows, came a boy.

He didn't look much older than him, maybe a year or two older. He was drenched, his tattered shirt and shorts doing nothing to protect him against the weather. His eyes were narrowed at the trash cans before him, as if they had offended him and, instantly Meizu knew that the kid must've been searching for food but to no avail.

Apparently feeling Meizu's gaze on the side of his face, the boy's dark eyes snapped to where he stood, sending a shiver up Meizu's spine at the sheer intensity of them.

"The hell you lookin' at?" His voice was a little hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time. "Can't ya see 'm busy?"

Meizu squinted at the boy. "Where's yer mum? Or yer da?"

"They ain't here." Was the snappish reply.

...

This boy...

He was an orphan like him. Meizu could tell because the boy's response was just a little too quick and a little too defensive, like he had hit a sore spot on him.

...But, at the same time, the boy wasn't like him.

...

For some reason, he reminded Meizu of a wet puppy.

...A mangy, wet puppy.

...

"Hey..." He muttered abruptly while pulling a snack cake from the bag. "Wanna be friends?"

The words came out before he even had time to think about them.

He didn't regret them, though.

Maybe he felt bad for the kid, having to resort to rummaging through garbage cans just to have food in his stomach. The kid in front of him had been abandoned, discarded by his parents, his family, the people in the village and deemed nothing more than an annoyance.

If that.

For some reason, the kid kinda reminded him of himself. This kid was what he could've been had he not ended up in the orphanage with Granny Kasumi. That must've been the reason why he'd offered some random kid he'd just met in an alley to be his friend.

The boy stared at him for a long while, eyes hard and narrowed deeply. Meizu felt a small surge of triumph as the boy inched towards him cautiously before quickly snatching the offering from his outstretched hand. Ripping open the plastic with his teeth, the street rat stuffed the treat into his mouth, chewing rather loudly and obnoxiously.

The boy finished in less than a second, using a wet sleeve to wipe crumbs from his mouth. His dark eyes flew to Meizu's face, almost making the boy take a wary step back from the emotion dancing within them.

"You..."

He straightened up, making himself just a few inches taller than Meizu before striding up to the other boy. Then...

"I don't need no fuckin' handouts!"

...He kicked him in the shin.

...

(Maybe he should've just left him there.)

Ram.

His eyes closed in concentration, his hands conforming to create the seal to manipulate chakra for his technique. He expelled the chakra in the next few seconds, feeling his body melt into the water below his feet. A grin covered his face at his success and, after a few more minutes of hiding, he peeked up from his position.

"C'mon, brat." Jūzō-san's voice rang out. "Don't tell me you're happy with that shit. The other brat's already doin' the Water Prison Technique."

Meizu's lips pursed as he rose up from his hiding spot, glaring lightly as he watched with concealed amazement and envy at the sight of Zabuza restraining one of Jūzō-san's clones with his jutsu. The older boy looked back over his shoulder with a roguish smile, something much more innocent than his usual psychotic grins.

"Ya see this, Meizu!?" He bounced on the balls of his feet, ignorant to the imprisoned clone's movements. "I fuckin' nailed that shi—"

His words were cut off by a punch to the face by Jūzō-san's clone. Meizu cringed at the brutality of it. Then, he felt himself laughing as Zabuza picked himself up off the ground, clutching his face and stumbling around in a daze like the drunk guy who lived next to she-who-would-not-be-named.

(Shizuka, if it wasn't obvious.)

A sharp blow to the top of his head plunged him back into the water and he groaned quietly as pain shot down from the top of his head to the very tips of his toes. He resurfaced a few minutes later, floating on his belly and clutching his head in agony. He felt himself being lifted up by the back of his shirt and then thrown across the clearing, his body colliding into Zabuza's, leaving them in a pile of pain.

"I done told you brats 'bout losin' focus like that! All yer enemy needs is one second—no, one millisecond—and then it's lights out for ya!" Jūzō-san yelled out in irritation, a trickle of Killing Instinct slicing through the air. "How long is it gonna take before it's buried in those hard heads!?"

Meizu vaguely felt Zabuza's body tensing beneath his as a quiet whimper escaped his lips. Abruptly, the oppressive force weighting down on them dissipated and his muscles relaxed. He slid off of Zabuza's prone body, whining softly at the aches and exhaustion settling into his form.

"Get up an' get over here, both o' ya." The Swordsman grunted after a short sigh and they both scurried to obey. "Meizu, what's yer class working on?"

The younger boy blinked in thought as he rubbed his arm. "Mn... My class is workin' on kenjutsu and taijutsu and we started basic battle tactics, too.'"

The Swordsman nodded slightly. "What's Kirigakure's signature style?"

"Uhh..." He tapped his lip, eyes searching the sky as he pondered. "Mn... It's called the Shifting Water Serpent Dance. Works with pretty much any sword but you can't use certain moves without the right one. Supposed to make it easy for ya to switch between using a sword and your fists...if yer stupid enough to lose yer weapon."

Zabuza covered his snort with a hand while Jūzō-san merely laughed at his answer, dropping a heavy hand on his head to ruffle up his already messy hair. "All right, all right. Show me the beginning kata."

He formed a seal and another clone pulled away from his body, sending a few stray droplets onto Meizu's face. Retrieving his bokken, he firmly planted his feet and began his movements against the still figure.

Double Side.

A simple movement. Swinging the sword left and then right.

Breaching Side.

He stepped forward, swiftly swinging his blade from the left and angling it up. The clone stumbled backwards, water erupting from the gash in his chest before it quickly reformed as if he hadn't hit it.

Cap Smash.

Another simple move. A brutal hit to the kneecap with the sword's hilt.

Vertical Descent.

Darting back a bit, Meizu rushed forward as fast as possible before jumping into the air and bringing his weapon down in a sharp arc, taking off the clone's head and part of its shoulder. The clone burst, sending a spray of water onto him and sending him flopping onto the ground. His lips formed a pout as he glared up at Jūzō-san's chuckling form.

"That it?"

"Nu-uh." He bit the inside of his cheek.

Meizu pushed himself up from the ground and shook the water from his face as Jūzō-san created another clone. Once again, he got into position, this time with his bokken's tip near the ground.

Sharp Rise.

A small smirk appeared on his face as he brought the weapon up, right between the clone's legs. The wooden sword slid through the clone, splitting him in half. He laughed at Jūzō-san's choke and sent a cheeky grin over to Zabuza, who was laughing just as much as he at the implication. His laughter was cut short at the man's sharp punch to his head and he whined loudly at the abuse.

"Stop fuckin' around, brat! Damn!"

"But 'm through!"

The Swordsman sent him a withering glare. "Fuckin' hell." He rubbed his temples in exasperation and disappointment. "That was fuckin' pathetic, Meizu."

"Hey! I worked hard to learn that shit!"

"And it still fuckin' sucks, which is worse 'cause you actively tried to do good."

He waved away Meizu's cries of indignation. "Shut up, brat. I never said I wasn't gonna help ya get better."

"Why are you helpin' us anyways, Old Man?" Zabuza asked. "Don't you got better stuff to do?"

"What's it to ya? Shouldn't you be glad anyone even gave you the time of day? I mean, you're just a fuckin' street rat." He jabbed a thumb at Meizu, ignoring Zabuza's heated glare. "And you're just plain as fuck—you'd probably go to jail instead of dyin' in battle like a real man."

"Hey!"

"Both o' ya ain't shit an' you're not gonna be shit without me trainin' ya." His smirk died down into something a bit tamer. "...But, I was like that too. A real long time ago."

"So what the hell happened?" Zabuza grunted, irritated about the man's insults.

"I met my predecessor—my master—by chance. The old man said he saw something in me, something that reminded him o' himself. Said I was gonna shade the ground I walked on, so long as I listened to everything he said." He shrugged his shoulders. "He took me in, trained me, taught me everything I needed to survive in this hellhole of a country."

A memory entered Meizu's head at that moment. "Predecessor? Wasn't that Matsu Ichijiku, the Swordsman before you? We learned about him in class. Didn't he get killed or somethin'?"

Jūzō-san's head tilted to the side slightly as his eyes unfocused. "Yup. I killed 'im."

There was a pregnant pause between the three of them, the two children's eyes wide with shock and curiosity and the Swordman's head still tilted oddly to the side. The boys shared a look, silently arguing with each other to ask the question burning on both of their tongues. Zabuza attempted to frighten Meizu into submission with a crazed glower but the boy remained steadfast with the pout etched on his face.

Unable to resist, Zabuza sighed heavily. "Why'd ya do it?"

The question seemed to snap the man out of his trance. His normal smirk reappeared on his face as he bonked the two kids on their heads. "Classified info, brats. But that's not the point I was gettin' to. What I was gonna say was this: The old man saw somethin' in me and I see the same thing in the two o' you."

"I'm one of the strongest men in the village—no, the whole damn world! I paint battlefields red with the blood o' anyone dumb enough to stand before me! All 'cause I listened." His grin turned sharper, brandishing rows of jagged teeth as he pointed his thumb towards himself. "And, just like me, you'll shade the ground you walk on so long as you listen to any orders given to ya."

"That's what a ninja does." Meizu found himself reciting. "'A ninja is nothing more than a tool for their village and Kage, loyal and willing to die for their country. Death in service of Kirigakure is nothing but the highest of honors.'" He tilted his head to the side. "That's what Ibari-sensei told us at least." Meizu shrugged a shoulder. "Don't know how I feel 'bout it, though. Don't like Kiri too much."

"Me neither." Zabuza spat out with crossed arms. "No one gives a rat's ass 'bout ya in this fuckin' place. Dumb fucks, the lot of 'em."

Jūzō-san seemed to find this hilarious as he broke into such a loud laugh that it seemed to shake the very core of Meizu's body. Sharing an uncomfortable glance with his friend, they waited patiently for the Swordsman's fit to die down until only a few chuckles remained.

"Oh kami, I needed that fuckin' laugh." He wiped away a stray tear and patted his stomach. "But, yeah, seems pretty fuckin' common here in Kiri, actually. Unless you're a ninja, nobody gives ya the time of fuckin' day. That's why you gotta listen to me, though."

Clapping his hands together, he jerked a thumb back towards the village. "Enough with the chitchat, though. How's 'bout I take you guys to look at some swords? There's this really fun thing called tsujigiri that we do to test out new weapons and shit."

"You're gettin' us swords!?" Meizu gasped in amazement. He grabbed Zabuza's arm, snatching him up from the ground with an almost inhuman strength. "Let's go, Zabuza!"

The older boy yelled out in protest but followed after Meizu, neither of them waiting to see if the Swordsman was following.

...

Behind them, Jūzō Biwa allowed a tiny, secret smile to cross his thin lips.

~{VIII}~

"All right, brats! We're going on a mock field mission in Yōkai's Forest!"

At the beginning of year three, kunoichi classes ceased for me and we began moving into the more tactical and military aspects of shinobi life such as basic warfare as well as survival skills in the wilderness.

Tactics was the first of several mandatory subjects we were expected to learn during our time as students. The course was merely an introductory one, available for specialization once genin, if one so chose to. There were also other courses for specialization but they weren't mandatory and could only be taken in the fourth and final year of academy.

Because our next rank was genin (if we actually survived), we learned of common 4-man unit plans, the typical team formations and the individual unit roles a shinobi took. The organizational structure of Kiri's ninja was something also covered to give us an idea of how we could possibly be sorted once we made it to genin.

(A lot of long term planning considering half of us had to die to reach genin.)

Getting out into the field and out of the stuffy classrooms was something I was looking forward to, even if it was merely simulation training.

"The objectives for this is simple." Ichijiku-sensei held up a hand, using his fingers to count off each objective. "One: survive for a full four days in Yōkai's Forest. That is, from Thursday morning to Saturday evening." He held up two fingers. "Two: neutralize—not kill—as many other teams as you can. For every two teams incapacitated, you will earn five bonus points to your score. Losers will be brought back and given extra lessons to remind them why they're stupid enough to get captured and that they need to be better." Three fingers. "Three: your team will be given a scroll, marked with one of the five chakra elements. Your goal will be to collect the scroll with the element that yours is strong against and keep them both safe until the final day."

"The other classes will be participating, with all of you being separated into units of four." Ichijiku's voice was melodic in tone but unbelievably firm. "You won't be aware of your teammates until after I give you this slip of paper with their name, their class and your team number written on it. I'd suggest that you all get together and prepare for this event after classes let out."

"You have three days. Before 0800 on Thursday morning, I expect you all to be gathered in front of the Academy and we'll make our way to Yōkai's Forest from there. Oh. And try not to embarrass me out there; I do have an image to maintain."

Hmm, sounded fun. I can't recall if the series ever explained if the students actually went on excursions. Honestly, a lot of things that I've learned has never been brought up—at least, I don't remember it. Was it because of the times we grew up in? The era I was born into was one of war. The Third Shinobi World War was in full-swing but Kirigakure had been neutral, not so much as moving a muscle to attack, because we had our own internal disputes to deal with.

(Was it bad that I considered this time to be more peaceful than what I knew would come to pass?)

The rest of the school day passed by with nothing to note and, finally, Ichijiku-sensei began passing out the slips of paper for our team assignments. When he placed the small paper on my desk, I quickly flipped it over. I then proceeded to roll my eyes.

Team Two

Ameyuri Ringo - Class 1-A

Gōzu - Class 1-B

Utakata - Class 1-A

Fortunately, I had been placed together with the only two people who I could truthfully call my friends. Unfortunately, Utakata had to be there, being the blemish on this otherwise perfect team. From in front of me, I saw him cast a glance over his shoulder. I barred my teeth in a rather unfriendly manner, causing him to shake his head slightly and turn back around which only served to irritate me further.

With a tiny huff, I leaned back in my seat, arms crossed and teeth gnashing together.

...

(At least it wasn't Mangetsu...)

~{VIII}~

"Utakata." I greeted flatly, once classes let out.

"Shizuka." He responded just as deadpanned, his hands fumbling around with that stupid bubble-blower of his.

I pointed a finger at him. "Don't get the wrong idea, Utakata. We're not friends, merely people with a common goal, brought together by uncontrollable circumstances."

He shrugged slightly, rolling his eyes at me. "Okay, whatever you say."

His complete disregard of my declaration made me want to strangle him. My fingers twitched violently at my sides and I opened my mouth to release a verbal shitstorm the likes of which Kirigakure had never seen. I was stopped, however, by Ameyuri and Gōzu trailing up to us.

"What are the odds of us being together?" Gōzu smiled amiably, contently. "I'm really happy, Shizu-chan, Ameyuri-chan." He blinked over at the silent Utakata. "Um, you must be Utakata. It's nice to work together with you. Let's do our best, okay?"

"Stop being nice to him!" I demanded, stomping a foot. "He doesn't deserve your kindness!"

"B-but, Shizu-chan. Not being nice is mean." Gōzu's eyebrows scrunched together and his lips formed a tiny pout. "I don't like being mean to people."

Kami, how did this kid exist in this place!? He was too damn sweet and sappy. Wasn't he a ruthless missing-nin in canon? Did I really influence him that much? I smacked my forehead, finding it easier to just let him do whatever the hell that he wanted than try to persuade him to do anything else.

"Fine, fine." I flicked a bit of hair over my shoulder. "I'm hungry. Ameyuri, is Hamaki-san cooking today?"

She tapped her lip in thought, eyes searching the grey skies. "Mm, yeah. She's making miso soup so there should be enough for everyone." She inclined her head towards Utakata. "Wanna come?"

He merely shrugged again. "Okay."

Before he could move, I once again pointed my finger in his face. "You should be grateful that Ameyuri's so hospitable. I suggest you bask in this reprieve because, once this alliance is through, you're back on my shit list and I'm going to blow up that crap store you live in with your fath—!"

"He's not my dad." The normally laidback boy snapped, honey brown eyes narrowing. "Don't ever call him that."

I felt my mouth about to go slack but I locked it shut to keep the flabbergasted look from appearing on my face. Even when I did my best to antagonize him, he never snapped at me. Normally, he was stoic and calm, never one to be riled up about anything. This out-of-character moment had to be the most emotion Utakata had shown me and it was because of that asshole man he lived with.

Who was that man and what was his connection to Utakata...?

My eyes squinted, my teeth nibbling my bottom lip in thought before I ultimately discarded the moment for later speculation.

"Whatever. He can be your father, your uncle, your brother, your cousin, your damn dog—I don't give a shit!" I jabbed his chest. "After this alliance, that store's coming down. Got it? Let's go!"

I turned on my heel and, with hands on my hip, marched off towards Ameyuri's house, satisfied that the nature of this shaky relationship was clear.

From behind me I could hear Utakata's irritated sigh, "How do you deal with her?"

There was a pause.

"Mn, Shizu-chan's like an...onion. You just have to peel back her layers."

"To get to a rotten core?" I heard Utakata (the ass) grumble.

"SHUT IT!"

~{VIII}~

"Such a surprise, such a surprise!" Hamaki-san's light voice sighed in happiness. "You've brought home the chibi-chans again, Riri-chan!"

"M-mom! Don't embarrass me again!" Ameyuri squawked, doing her best to push us into the seating room but her mother easily intercepted us. "Mom, no!"

Hamaki Ringo was a peaceful woman who owned a small teahouse that resided in the upper part of the village. Again, she wasn't what I was expecting, like how I hadn't expected the chivalry her daughter had displayed or the gentleness Gōzu managed to retain every time I spoke to him. Through some innocent inquiry, I learned that Hamaki was married to a man named Katsuie Kinkan, a high-ranking member of Strike Division's Assault battalion. Though Hamaki was vague about his whereabouts, I could piece together that either he was dead, that he had abandoned them or both.

I remembered how the other Kinkan brats had called Ameyuri's father a traitor, displaying such scorn towards her that could only have been instilled into them by their parents. Why would a clan show such hostility towards the child of one their own? The only logical reason was that Katsuie had left and become a missing-nin, tarnishing the image that the Kinkan clan had in the eyes of Kirigakure and the Mizukage.

Katsuie was gone but his daughter remained and so she became the target of their animosity. The sins of the father fall to the son, or in this case, the sins of the father fall to the daughter.

I couldn't help but wonder why the Kinkan clan hadn't tried to kill Ameyuri and her mother. Not like it would make much of a difference—the damage had already been done to their reputation—but clans in this world could be vindictive and petty. Kirigakure clans in particular were extremely protective of their techniques and secrets, going so far as to kill members who uttered even a whisper to anyone other than clansmen. Hamaki and Ameyuri weren't that important to the village and, if they mysteriously disappeared, no one would bother to care.

But here they were, five years following Katsuie's disappearance/death, alive and well. I chalked it up to Hamaki having some kind of social standing or use to Kirigakure's higher ups. Maybe she had some sort of protection from the Mizukage—Yagura's mind wasn't completely gone just yet, if I recalled correctly.

Hamaki herself seemed to be taking everything in stride, in regards to the treatment of her daughter, her daughter's incurable illness and the dubious status of her husband.

She was just...tranquil.

For that, Hamaki Ringo had my respect.

"Ah~! How good to see you again, Shizu-chan." I allowed the woman to squish my admittedly fat cheeks with no qualms. "Such chubby cheeks... So adorable. You just get cuter and cuter everyday..."

"I know." I said confidently, preening under the woman's words.

She hid her giggle with her kimono sleeve, dark eyes squinting closed as she moved over to her next target. "And Gōzu-kun. I see that you are getting more and more handsome with each day."

Gōzu's cheeks flushed as he fumbled with the edge of his shirt, his brown eyes darting away. "T-thank you, H-Hamaki-san. I-I think you look v-very...pretty today."

A mischievous gleam appeared in her eyes as she once again covered her mouth with a kimono sleeve. "How sweet...! You'll grow into such a fine man... Riri-chan agrees. She just couldn't stop talking about how cute—"

"MOM! STOP IT!"

Hamaki-san continued on as if Ameyuri hadn't spoken and I quietly scoffed at the way Gōzu's and Ameyuri's faces had come to match the color of my hair. Stupid childish crushes. Kami, it—along with my baby teeth falling out—just reminded me of how long of a time I still had left before I hit puberty and grew into the gorgeous, badass kunoichi I knew I was going to be. I couldn't wait to be able to peruse and buy perfume and makeup without shop owners staring at me like I was hot-in-the-ass or something.

(The moment I longed for was so close and yet so far away.)

Hamaki-san stopped at Utakata, appraising him with a critical eye. He met her gaze, his expression oddly blank as the woman circled his form. I narrowed my eyes at him, suspicious of the possibility of him having something up his sleeve.

"What's your name?" The older woman questioned softly.

"Utakata."

Hamaki hummed softly. "Utakata... You must be the one who Shizu-chan talks about with such...vigor."

(So I may have gone overboard with my ranting...)

His brown eyes slid over to my face. "...Does she?"

"Yes." The woman tapped a finger on her painted lips. "Is there a reason for such animosity, Utakata-kun?"

My lips pursed together as I watched the scene, hoping that Hamaki-san would see what I saw—a no good brat who shouldn't have been in a higher class ranking than I. I hoped she saw how much of a fluke his abilities were and she'd send him away, never to return to intrude upon my territory.

Hamaki-san and Ameyuri and Gōzu were mine until I got tired of them and—

"I don't mean to cause Shizu-chan any trouble, Hamaki-san." A bashful look appeared on Utakata's face, his cheeks pinkening and eyelashes fluttering. "I just...really want to keep up with her because I..." His eyes shifted over to me nervously, darting back and forth between myself and the floor. "I really admire her."

Bull-fucking-shit.

I fixed Utakata with a seething glare as Hamaki-san's stern expression melted into something akin to dreamy delight and adoration. She proceeded to squeeze his cheeks and stroke his hair, all while Utakata fixed me with seemingly blank look but I could see the smugness in his eyes. I must've been shaking with anger because Gōzu snagged my sleeve, dragging me away from the sight of Hamaki-san fawning over Utakata and Ameyuri tugging futilely at her mother's sleeve to release the pliant boy.

"Don't get so riled up, Shizu-chan." Gōzu said placatingly, once we reached the sitting room. "Utakata's just trying to fit in."

I turned my searing glare onto him. "Are you siding with him!?"

"W-what!? No!" The older boy shook his head slowly, eyebrows furrowing. "You should really calm down, Shizu-chan. I think you might have hypertension."

"Hypertension!? What? Wha—? High blood pressure!? Where are you learning this stuff!?"

That was a legitimate question, not blurted out in the heat of the moment. We had a mandatory medical course that covered how to apply basic first-aid—even though it was briefly covered in kunoichi classes—how to perform CPR, stuff like that. But here was Gōzu—eight year old Gōzu—saying that I somehow had high blood pressure. I knew Gōzu was studying anatomy shit and I knew of his rather uncanny ability with medical ninjutsu despite his age and lack of proper training but where was he getting a hold of this information!?

(Damn, was Gōzu actually a medical genius!? Was he a male Sakura!?)

"It can be detrimental to your health! I'm not a medic-nin yet so you have to stop getting so angry, Shizu-chan!" He patted my head gently and, for some reason, I could feel my anger slowly dissipating.

(Must've been those sappy brown eyes...)

I huffed, blowing a loose lock of hair from my eyes. I plopped down at the small table, my arms crossed together as Gōzu took his seat next to me. Moments later, Utakata and Ameyuri trailed in and I glared at the pink kiss mark on his forehead. Ameyuri's cheeks were no longer the furious shade of red as before while Utakata stared at me with that stoic look on his face.

"Now you kids just enjoy yourselves while I make dinner." Hamaki-san gushed before swooping out of the doorway, her expensive kimono fluttering in her wake.

Really, Hamaki-san? What a way to make me dislike you. You were supposed to kick this kid out of your house, not treat him like a little angel.

"You're pouting, snaggletooth." Utakata's voice said and I just snapped..

"I'LL KILL YOU!" I screamed, slamming my hands down on the table and surging forth to strangle the life out of this brat.

He wasn't even important! Who gave a shit if he was a future jinchūriki!? He was only going to die an—

"Shizuka." Gōzu's voice was uncharacteristically firm. "Calm. Down."

I blinked and leaned back into my previous sitting position on the green zabuton beneath me, arms falling onto the low table as I turned my head to stare at the brown-haired boy with a blank stare.

Did Gōzu just order me to do something? Was sweet and gentle Gōzu growing a backbone with me!?

"...Please?" He tacked on at the end, his head ducking down as uncertainty filled him. "Shizu-chan?"

...

No.

No he wasn't.

(Good.)

Now that I think about it, why was I getting all angry in the first place? Utakata was going to die, anyways. There was no need for me to get offended by someone who the village didn't even bother saving. Ha! Even his own village knew he was worthless! Inwardly cackling, I smoothed down my hair, ignoring the way Utakata stared at me in perturbation. Gōzu only looked on with that blissful expression on his face, as if he had achieved something, and Ameyuri was busy covering her mouth to stop from laughing. I fought the urge to roll my eyes at their ignorance and stupidity.

"So, let's start planning for this, hm?" I smiled kindly, eyes closing and head tilting to the side.

~{VIII}~

For the life of him, Utakata couldn't understand Shizuka.

One moment, she was dignified and composed. Another moment, she was vindictive and hateful. Then, she was wild and vicious. Finally, she was sweet and delicate.

She...confused him.

And so did Gōzu and Ameyuri for putting up with her.

Bipolar much. He watched on with distinct wariness as the three of them chattered on as if the redhead hadn't just leapt across the table to kill him.

Seriously.

He swore he felt a small surge of Killing Instinct bursting from the redhead.

After this mock mission was through, Utakata was going to do his best to stay away from the three of them.

(He already had enough troubles to deal with...)

~{VIII}~

Our team was an interesting combination of skills.

Ameyuri had a couple lightning jutsu and was actually the best tracker in the class, being able to pick up on environmental disturbances—broken twigs, damaged leaves, footprints, weak chakra residue—better than anyone else. She could also sense people but not in the same fashion as a sensor-nin; she said it was a jutsu she learned from her father's old scrolls but I didn't really pay attention. She was also quite aggressive with her kenjutsu but couldn't take too many hits—probably due to her illness—effectively making her into a glass cannon.

Gōzu was our medic-nin since he could...actually use medical ninjutsu. Granted, it was only a light healing technique, a weak offensive technique and the Diagnostic Jutsu but the amount of chakra control needed for all those was still pretty insane. He was decent with kenjutsu and taijustu and had some experience with water jutsu but he only really used the Water Clone and the Hiding in Water techniques. Gōzu wasn't as useless as Konoha's medic-nin, who were prohibited from fighting on the frontlines, because Kiri didn't follow the same medical procedures.

Utakata was a sensor—certainly not the best but not the worse—but his perception range was the biggest in the class. Utakata was good with water ninjutsu, was pretty quick on his feet but he didn't hit as hard as Ameyuri or I. He was better at bukijutsu and preferred it, more often than not. I wondered if he knew about Soap Bubble Ninjutsu since he loved that ugly green bubble blower of his, but I decided against telling him because there was no damn way I was going to give him an edge over me.

As for me, I was the assault/tank unit. I was the most physically sturdy and hit the hardest but my speed was something that needed to be worked on. I had a few fire ninjutsu that were pretty useful—my favorite being the Fire Clone Jutsu—and, with my large chakra stores, I counted that I could perform up to twenty low-ranked jutsu before tiring. Combined with the newest addition of explosive tags to my repertoire of items, I could set up some pretty nasty traps given enough preparation.

During the days leading up to the mock mission, we mostly ended up training together and planning out the various ways we'd approach this whole thing but ultimately decided that we'd make up something once we got into the forest. When Thursday morning finally rolled around, I ate a hardy breakfast, stared at my neighbor's door for a few seconds because he'd been oddly quiet for a few days before shrugging it off and heading to the Academy, where I met my teammates with a grunt of greeting.

"You guys ready?" Ameyuri asked with excitement, hopping up and down slightly. "I can't wait to get started!"

"It's too early to be so jumpy..." I heard Utakata mutter as he drowsily blew a few bubbles into the crisp morning air. "Please...stop moving so much, Ringo-san."

"No! A-me-yu-ri! I told you to call me Ameyuri! We're teammates now, okay?"

"Yes, yes... Just don't move a lot. It's making my head hurt..."

I ignored them both, thinking it better to scout out the potential threats, though, there was only one in the form of Mangetsu Hōzuki. Scanning the crowd for his head full of white hair—which was admittedly difficult because he wasn't the only Hōzuki or person in general with white hair—I finally found him, laughing along with a Hoshigaki boy named Unagi. Lingering next to them, I spotted a brown-haired kid with this look on his face and he looked really famil—

"Is that—?" I squinted. "Is that Meizu!? Gōzu, why didn't you tell me—!?"

I turned to look towards the boy, only to find him staring in the direction of his brother. His eyes were unfocused and it seemed as if something on his mind was bothering him. Did it have to do with Meizu?

"Gōzu." I flicked his ear. "Gōzu!"

He jumped a littly, yelping softly as he turned his head in my direction. "What's wrong, Shizu-chan?"

"You. Your brother. What's the problem?" I asked bluntly.

"A-ah..." He trailed off, not really saying much as his gaze drifted back over to his brother. "Um, well, Meizu has been acting wierd lately..." He grimaced at the flat look I gave him. "I-I mean, well, I can't really explain it... He hasn't been all the way there, you know?"

That would happen if you hung around with psychopathic kids named Zabuza Momochi. "You're worried?"

He nodded, letting his eyes fall to the ground. "I think he's still hanging with that Zabuza kid... I wish he'd listen to me and stay away from him." Gōzu looked back up at me with darkened eyes. "For some reason, I feel really...scared about something, Shizu-chan."

I didn't say anything, deciding it was better to just...place a hand on his shoulder. I don't know what made me do it, probably because I didn't want him sulking and distracted while when we were about to enter a dangerous forest, filled with enemies and who-knows-what else. He was our medic, the most valuble member of any cell, and I needed him with all his wits about him if we were going to get a high score on this.

My silent support seemed to do the trick, for his eyes had returned to their familiar bright hue. He opened his mouth to say something but he was interuppted.

"All right, brats!" Ibari-sensei, the eye patched man, boomed out. "We're headin' out! Better keep up!"

Still, even with whatever was wrong with Gōzu temporarily resolved, I couldn't help but wonder if he even knew his brother was on a team with Mangetsu. Did Gōzu even keep up with Meizu anymore? Was it because of me? Really, it wasn't my fault if Gōzu knew that I was the superior companion nor was it my fault that Gōzu had turned into a neglectful brother.

I shook my head, dismissing the useless thoughts floating around in my head as I fell in line. What the Demon Brothers did was none of my business, unless it had a direct impact on the wellbeing of my person.

(But, I couldn't seem to get the...disturbed look I saw on Meizu's face out of my mind nor the worry that was etched across Gōzu's.)

~{VIII}~

The hike to Yōkai's Forest was a good two-hour walk from Kirigakure. The legends behind it were simple: demons lived there and, if you found yourself there alone or vulnerable, you'd run into an unfortunate fate. Kids in my class liked to tell stories about relatives or friends who'd disappeared once they entered, never to return because ghosts or demons had eaten or killed them—ya know, the usual scare tactics to impress any listeners.

I can't say that I'm a skeptic. Not only counting that I have the mind of a grown woman inhabiting the body of a seven year old in a place that was once fiction but, even with my mind constantly remembering and forgetting things from my past life, there are distinct fragments that refuse to be lost. I can remember seeing and experiencing things that couldn't be explained and the only proof that I had was my own word. Back in that other world, when people didn't believe me, I eventually began telling myself that I was tired and stressed from classes or I was just being paranoid.

I couldn't use those kind of excuses here, not with shit like the Shinigami being summoned or the Tailed Beasts being in existence or fucking chakra making it possible to walk on water, which was like the epitome of godliness in that other world.

So, I couldn't stop the…anxious (because this Shizuka is afraid of nothing) shiver that ran up my spine when we reached the entrance to Yōkai's Forest.

Yōkai's Forest was Kiri's equivalent to the Forest of Death in Konoha. I think I remember hearing that it was one of the places where Kirigakure held their Chūnin Exams. Kiri actually rotated between several areas randomly for the Exams. To keep things fresh for the participants, I guess. In this point in time, there were no alliances between the other villages. Even then, Kirigakure still wouldn't be able to participate in any other Chūnin Exams hosted by other villages because of the Bloodline Purges and Yagura's eventual death.

A moat filled with murky, viscous-looking swamp water surrounded the perimeter of the forest and—

(Oh shit! Did I just see a tentacle with an eye peeking out of the water!?)

—it was gated off with various signs of warning and what looked to be barrier and containment seals doting along the tall, wired fence. The stories of children entering alone wouldn't seem so likely, considering there was no way they would have the knowledge to deactivate the various seals, but the entrance gate didn't even have any seals on them, just a warning sign and a length of chain that could easily be pulled off.

Honestly, it looked like the seals were more from keeping something from getting out than keeping people from getting in.

"Here we are, brats! When we call your team, come on up, get your scroll and map!" Ibari-sensei called out, jerking his thumb towards the gated forest entrance. "Then, head in!"

"Team One: Noriaki Kakyoin, Koichi Hirose, Josuke Higashikata and Jotaro Kujo."

I tilted my head.

(Why did those names make want to pose fantastically and point at someone?)

...

"Team Two: Ameyuri Ringo, Utakata, Shizuka and Gōzu."

I glared lightly at Ichijiku-sensei as we stepped up. I moved to snatch the scroll and map from his hands but he lifted them out of reach, staring down at us—me in particular—with a charming smile.

"Do take care not to get caught by the Gashadokuro, okay?"

"What the hell is that?"

Utakata blew a bubble as he looked at me from the corner of his eye. "It's a giant skeleton made of the bones of people who have died from starvation. They wander around, grab you, bite your head off, drink your blood, and add your skeleton to the pile."

…

Fuck.

I scoffed snatching the items from the man's hands, tucking them both down into my sash. Without a second glance, I dashed through the gates and into the dark forest with my teammates following close behind me.

(This Shizuka was not afraid of giant skeleton monsters—or anything!)

~{VIII}~

"Utakata..." My lips pursed in distaste as I whispered his name, irritated that I needed his help. "Can you sense anyone else around us?"

His visible eye closed and his hands formed what I referred to as the sensor seal, as I've seen multiple people perform the same hand sign to mold chakra for sensing—one hand up with index and middle fingers pointing skywards.

Seconds after gathering chakra and being completely still, his eyebrows scrunched together and he shifted away from me a bit.

I frowned, eyes narrowing. "Got anything?"

His lips pulling down in distaste as his eyes opened. "Four enemies. And your horribly hot chakra."

"Horrible!?" I bit out lowly, barring my teeth as I moved to lunge towards him. "What did you—!?"

"Stop it." Discomfort played over his features as he scooted away a bit more. "I hate the heat and you keep generating it. Horrible."

I opened my mouth to say something scathing in response but, remembering where we were and what we were doing, I swallowed the words with a disgruntled huff and a dismissive wave of my hand. "Whatever. Ameyuri, you ready?"

She nodded with a small smile. "Ready, Zuzu-tan."

Inwardly growling at the horrendous pet name she'd given me, outwardly, I allowed a small smile to cross my face as I turned back to the other two. Brushing a loose bit of hair from my face, I squinted through the heavy mist, allowing my eyes to get used to using the Mist Vision Technique, a hiden passed down to all Kiri-nin to see through the First Mizukage's chakra-laced haze.

According to Ichijiku-sensei, Byakuren created it for the obvious reason to allow his own forces to see but to also allow them to see through any conditions created through water in the air. A very useful ability in Water Country, the more mastery you have over it, the less effort needed to activate it, eventually making it into a passive ability.

("Passive ability." Sounds like a video game thing, huh?)

Lifting a hand for the other three to see, I began to slowly countdown.

(Three.)

(Two.)

(One.)

Cutting off the chakra keeping me anchored onto the tree branch, I began my descent. Just as I dropped, my opponent looked up, eyes widening in alarm.

"We're being ambushed!" He roared, hands coming together and forming the hand seals for that kami-forsaken Violent Water Wave Technique. I rolled my eyes in exasperation and annoyance. Didn't any of these brats learn the other C-ranked water jutsu? There were so many they could use and, yet they mimicked stupid Mangetsu and learned that shit jutsu he loved to spam.

I rolled my eyes, swiftly performing hand signs.

Boar. Dragon. Tiger.

Breath in—

Hold it in!

"Lightning Style: Lightning Bolt!"

"Water Style: Violent Water Wave!"

From the corner of my eye, I saw a bolt of lightning shoot out, connecting with the torrent of water in the process of traveling to hit me full-force. Electricity crackled and, abruptly, the water fell lifelessly as its caster dropped to the ground, twitching. Cackling mentally, I released the mid-sized ball of fire I'd been holding upon my pathetically disoriented opponents as something else—a kunai with an explosive tag attached—zipped past me and embedded itself into the ground.

(How long had that exchange taken? Five seconds? And they still weren't prepared!?)

The resulting detonation was moderately large but not strong enough to do more than stun and give some painful burns. I grunted at the slight stinging I recieved from the blast but the cries of pain and panic was enough for me to get over it. I landed on the balls of my feet and, using the leftover momentum, lunged forth to tackled my opponent onto the ground. A groan of pain was cut off by me swiftly knocking him out and, within the span of a few more seconds, the rest of his team was on the ground unconscious.

"Find the scroll?"

"Yeah..." Ameyuri pouted. "But they have earth."

"Shit, we have wind." I grumbled but rolled my eyes. "Gōzu."

He nodded as pulled out the flare stuffed in one of our opponents' packs. He set it off quickly, alerting one of the instructers of a downed team. I rolled my shoulders as I stood back up, collecting the kunai on the ground and handing it back to Utakata with a frown. He stared at me with a cocked eyebrow.

"How are you not burned?" He questioned, placing the weapon back in his pouch.

I smirked, flicking a bit of hair over my shoulder. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

I had a theory that I had some innate fire resistance due to my fire affinity but, for all I knew, it was because I was just really badass and lowly injuries such as burns couldn't hope to hinder me.

He shurgged. "Whatever. Let's get going before another team finds us. You know you can't fight on even grounds."

"Shut the hell up." I hissed but relented when two of the teachers—Ibari-sensei and some woman I didn't recognize—gathered up the incapacitated group. The eyepatched man gave us a grin and a two-fingered wave before poofing back out of sight.

After gathering our bearings, we set for our next targets.

(And we still haven't encountered any Gashadokuro. Thank kami—)

~{VIII}~

Zabuza could tell Meizu was uncomfortable.

It wasn't hard to see.

He kept shuffling his feet. His eyes kept darting to and fro, never quite staying in one place. His fingers trembled as they messed with a loose thread on his hoodie. He was trying to ignore what was in front of them.

Zabuza couldn't.

The man was shaking, sweat dripping down his face and making his already greasy skin greasier. His wrists and ankles were tied to the headboard of his rickety bed and a pair of most likely soiled underwear were stuffed into his mouth, muffling his pitiful cries and futile screams. His eyes were wide with terror and desperation, the dialated pupils darting back and forth between himself, Meizu and Jūzō-san.

"Now then." A sick smile was on the Swordsman's face. "Who wants to go first?"

Zabuza cast a glance over to his friend, noting the way the color drained from his face. He didn't even need that long to make a decision. "I'll go first... Old man."

If possible, the grin on his face grew wider and he beckoned Zabuza. Clutching the hilt of his newly-purchased sword a bit tighter, the older boy stepped towards the bed and their captive. He felt the Old Man's hand drop onto his head, ruffling up his spikes as he stared down at the trembling man.

"Go on, Zabuza. Do it."

He unsheathed his blade, letting it clatter onto the wooden floor. The man's body tensed and his eyes flew up to his face, then to the sword in his hand. Zabuza tilted his head, lifting his sword up, intrigued at the way the man's eyes would follow it.

Why was he following the sword? It was him who was actually holding it. Shouldn't he be looking at him?

Abruptly, he brought the sword down with as much strength as he could. Blood splattered into his eyes, keeping him from seeing exactly where he had hit the man. Jūzō-san's laughter and the man's smothered screams became nothing more than background noise as he wiped the stinging red liquid from his eyes with a sleeve, mentally frowning because now his favorite shirt was ruined. Once through, he blinked down at the squirming man.

Ah, he had gotten one of his legs, right in the thigh.

Zabuza couldn't help but look at the blood, flesh, fat and bone. He lifted the sword back up and swiftly brought it back down, frowning at the way his sword caught on the man's bone. Readjusting his grip, he put all his weight down, watching with amazement as the bone gave way and his sword slid down unhampered.

...

He couldn't stop himself, for some reason.

When one limb gave way, he moved onto the next one almost automatically. Blood splattered onto him, onto the bedding, the floors—even back onto his face and into his eyes.

But he couldn't close them.

He couldn't stop.

He had been plunged into a void where the only sounds he could hear were his raging heartbeat and his ragged gasps.

"—ey!"

His hands wouldn't stop.

"He—!"

Even when there was nothing left, he couldn't stop.

"Zabuza!"

The sword fell from his hands, dropping onto the floor next to his feet as something large and warm jerked his shoulder.

...

Everything was starting to come back to him.

He felt like he was burning up.

His hands were shaking.

He couldn't catch his breath.

He couldn't blink.

...

"So, how'dya feel, brat?" Jūzō-san asked and Zabuza noticed that the Swordsman wasn't using his name any longer.

He couldn't form words so he nodded.

"Felt good?"

The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, leaving him feeling cold and empty. He didn't like that frigid feeling, that feeling of nothingness. That feeling of being so full of warmth, only to have it taken away from him so quickly.

He swallowed, ignoring the metal tang on his tongue. "...W-when can I do it again?"

Jūzō-san stared down at him before that racous laughter once again filled the room. His eyes wandered over to his friend, who only stared at him with this blank look. Zabuza could see his mouth moving and, if he strained hard enough, he could hear his words.

"—ve. They die. Things are born. Live. Die. Born. Live. Die. Born. Live. Die. Born. Die. Born. Liv—"

...

For some reason, he had the urge to laugh with Jūzō-san.

And so he did.

.

A/N: Goodness, this chapter took me a while. I kept wanting to add a ton of information expanding on Kirigakure's organizational structure but it didn't fit so I left it for a more opprotune time. Shameless insertion of JoJo characters because I couldn't think of any other names so don't worry about any crossovers or anything. The whole excursion thing was inspired by another SI called Firestorm by ViolaPlayer. They haven't updated in two years which makes me upset because the story was very good. Someone thought it was boring but I found it well-written and a different take on characters inserted as Naruto.

I think my favorite parts of this chapter are the ones that include Zabuza, Meizu and Jūzō-san. I think I may have broken Meizu. Free cookies to anyone who can figure who Zabuza murdered lol

Let's see, I had this huge urge to write all the jutsu in romanji (because it sounds cooler) but translations would've been necessary and I felt it would've broken the pacing. Plus, it feels rudundant to me. They are speaking in something akin to Japanese so... It's hard to explain :(

I think that's it for now. Oh! I'm posting a poll on my account because I'm planning a AU to this story where Shizuka's mother actually makes it to where she intended. I wanted to know if you guys wanted it to take place during the current time (Third Shinobi War) or during the start of the series for extra AU goodness. It won't be up for a long while but I am planning it.

Thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews~! Special shoutout to GaleSynch. Thank you for reading and liking this story. I really love your stories as well. The master-slave thing made me laugh because that's actually going to be mentioned in later chapters XD

I love you guys~! And I'll see you next chapter!

I also changed my name so there's that :)