Haku and Chojuro had a good pace going as they continued their search for their missing teammate. Forest and shrubbery passed to and fro in their peripherals as they tried to pick out any noticeable chakra signatures that would alert the common man

Haku would've immediately responded to Chojuro's query but something came within her eyesight. "Look over there, Chojuro-kun."

Chojuro followed her vision and saw a clearing up ahead. Now on the ground again, both shinobi took careful steps to what appeared to be tents still held up by sticks surrounding logs. From the marks on them, it wasn't too long ago that the fire fizzled away.

"Could this camp belong to the rebels?"

Haku made a small noise in their throat before she stepped forward and reached her hand into the tent to look for any valuables. Chojuro followed suit and checked the other bags, small frown in place when his hands or eyes didn't find anything worthwhile.

After a few minutes, Haku and Chojuro stood in front of the charred wood before their eyes met. "They already left. How long ago is the question…"

Chojuro hummed for a moment before looking around his surroundings. Nothing looked too out of place. Same old Mizu no Kuni forests. "It's hard to tell when everything looks in order." Chojuro put his fingers to his chin as his frown stretched a bit more. "Is there any location around here that would warrant an attack from these rebels?"

"The next settlement around here is a ways off. This particular area is near the coastline around the waters of…" Haku let the sentence cut off as she came to a realization. It may be a baseless assumption but…

Without any warning, Haku leapt to the nearest tree and took off, Chojuro given little time to react and play catch up. Now within sight of the ocean surrounding their country, both shinobi had their eyes scanning the area. Although nothing seemed out of place here like before in the clearing, Haku did notice some…marks in the sand. Carefully treading towards it, Haku knelt down and peered at the wide holes…or rather, "Footprints." Haku rose from the ground and looked out into the ocean. "They were here."

Chojuro came up beside her and looked at the raging waters in front of him. "Do you think they have….traveled out there?"

Haku didn't like betting all her chances on this. For all she knew, this could've been common travelers or nearby citizens wanting to fish for some food or going for a swim. But her shinobi instincts couldn't take that for an answer. She needed to see it for herself.

'Naruto?! Wake up, you idiot!'

Ugh, who the hell was screaming at this time of the night? Couldn't the voice till he finished his mega ramen bowl? He finally got Ayame-chan to make it to absolute perfection….

'GET UP!'

"Alright, alright!" Now sitting up on the ground with his hands covering his ears, Naruto had a grimace on his face until he opened his eyes and yawned. After stretching his arms, Naruto moved his head around his current area before scratching his hair. "Where are we, Kyuu?"

'Don't tell me that your memory is failing you.' Pause. 'Then again, I wouldn't be surprised, considered how painful that surprise attack must've been.'

"Surprise attack?" Naruto had his fingers to his chin as he tried to recall such a thing on recent memory…it didn't take long since he snapped his fingers in recognition. "Oh yeah. Me and that old man got attacked as soon as we…came…too…" Now that full realization of his goal came crashing into his mind, Naruto wordlessly rose to his full height and really took a good look at his surroundings.

Everything….to be blunt, for the sake of time, was in ruins. To go even deeper into that explanation, the walls surrounding him looked like they didn't whether the test of time very well. Spider cracks and wedges decorated the rock formations in various places with some of the small crevices bearing mold that grew slowly over time. Turning his eyes all over as he unconsciously started moving his feet, Naruto noticed statues of different kinds of people he wished to have the pleasure of knowing. Most of them had the stern/frown look to them that most statues of famous people seemed to have but a smile grew on the blonde's face when he saw two smiles with peaceful smiles on their faces. He wondered if they were a couple at one point since their statues were near each other.

Another important detail that he noticed with no small amount of pride….his clan's symbol, what looked like a simple swirl design, was ALL over the place. On every building, on the statues, the walls, everywhere! Blue eyes crinkled a bit when he even saw the symbol etched on the ground in a few houses or temples.

Stopping for a moment, Naruto took off the gauntlet covering his right hand and let the tips of his fingers touch the nearest symbol. Nerves shook something fierce as Naruto moved his fingers in the same circle pattern as the swirl design. Letting his fingers stop at the center, Naruto put his forehead under the swirl while closing his eyes in a silent moment of prayer.

'…'

After a few seconds, Naruto backed away and put his gauntlet back on. Then, channeling chakra to his legs, he leapt to the tallest building he could see and stood out on the roof.

He saw the entirety of the fallen Uzushiogakure. The crumbled houses, former stores, clan symbols….everything the Uzumaki stood for as far as his two eyes could see.

'Kyuubi….could you picture what this place must've been like when people lived here?'

For once, the ancient chakra demon didn't have an answer. Or rather, it did have one of some sort. But due to the state of its container right now….it would be inappropriate.

Not hearing anything form his friend, Naruto let his eyes wander to the biggest shrine in the ruins.

"Yoshanai!"

"So they found me…" Indeed they have. With a splash indicating a landing on the surface of water, Haku stood before them with a neutral look on her face while Chojuro carried a wary expression on his pitiful face. He did note that they were tense, meaning their reflexes were ready for battle.

Kajika only chuckled while his two subordinates prepared their weapons. "It's such a pleasure to see you again, Haku-chan. You look as lovely as ever."

"And I see that Hoshigaki Kisame's influence is still present on your person."

"But of course. He is the ideal shinobi after all." He snarled at Chojuro for a moment before turning back to Haku. "And unlike your teammate, a perfect member of our Shichinin Shu."

"Chojuro-kun is a worthy successor. Both Zabuza-sama and Mizukage-sama agree on this."

"Tch. Opinions that come from the ultimate bloodline whore and a failure hold no water."

Haku felt her blood turn ice cold(no pun intended) at the insult of her idols. Her voice dropped to that quality. "I will only ask all of you once: Surrender for your resistance to Kirigakure and all of Mizu no Kuni and I promise with all of my being that the death penalty won't touch you."

Kajika had a snarl on his face and was about to reply until Yoshanai stepped in front of him. Wordlessly, he looked back and forth between his two former teammates. The larger teen was thankful to craft a neutral expression on his face because he had thoughts all over the place. Seeing Haku with such an intense look on her face, noticing Chojuro with a wary but resolute look on his. His eyes drifted to the direction of Kirigakure for a moment, he closed his eyes and let out the breath he was holding.

"Are you two satisfied with the direction Kirigakure is going?" At their questioning looks, Yoshanai continued. "I ask this because I cannot. You all expect me to believe that working under someone with stronger than average genes is an appropriate path for glory?"

Chojuro had a confused look on his face before it clicked. "Are you referring to Mizukage-sama's capability of using two kekkei genkai?"

Yoshanai looked at him for a moment before pointing at Haku. "You, Haku, possess those higher than normal genes as well. Having the ability to control ice and form it into anything you will it too. That makes everything easier, right? It makes you stick out better, doesn't it?!" His real feelings on the matter slowly leaked out word for word. And Haku didn't budge an inch but rather lend her ear to hear everything. When Yoshanai finished, she closed her eyes and turned her head away while clutching her forearm.

"Sometimes, I wish this power within didn't exist at all." That caught the large teen for a loop. "Zabuza-sama always noticed and never failed to point out that I always had a mysterious look in my eye whenever I train with him or travel from place to place. Even when I was much younger, he told me that I slept better than he ever did." She felt tears prickle in her eyelids but she forced them back. "In those moments, even if they were short, I….imagined a scenario where my mother didn't have the Hyoton bloodline. Where my father fell in love with her for her personality and spirit. Where I was born into the world as a normal child ready to be raised by loving people." Haku let one sound echo in her throat before she stared at her foes. "So no, Yoshanai-kun. I don't feel like my bloodline makes me stand out in terms of being a shinobi. Rather, I wish I didn't have it. If only to think my parents would've have survived without having contact with it."

"So why?" Yoshanai spread his arms out in a specific gesture.

"Because even though I wish this bloodline didn't fester in my makeup…I've also come to accept it." The ice cold tone returned in her voice. "I'm using this power to cement a future for Kirigakure where families can live happily. To protect what is truly precious to me."

Yoshanai let his arms fall to his sides as he closed his eyes for a moment. Far be from him to try and coerce Haku to join him at his rate. She would've made an excellent partner for him. If only they lived in another universe…oh well. No use crying over wasted opportunities.

"Enough talking. Time for the hunt to begin." Kajika didn't waste any time once he formed the seals for his own jutsu, cheeks bulging as a result. "Suiton: Rekku Suigeki!(Water Release: Cold Sky Water Attack!)". Numerous darts of water shot out of Kajika's mouth which forced Haku and Chojuro to jump out of the way.

Now separated from Chojuro, Haku faced Yoshanai head on by herself. And the larger teen held nothing back with his opening onslaught. Reflexes honed through training with a professional swordsman came into play as Haku avoided each swipe from Yoshanai's cleaver. Her brown eyes were focused on her opponent's movements until she capitalized on a sweeping strike that had a longer reach. In the small moment that Haku bent her knees to jump over the maneuver, her left hand already made the seals for her retaliatory attack. 'Suiton: Mizurappa!(Water Release: Water Trumpet!)'. Forming a circle in front of her mouth with her fingers, Haku released a stream of water that slammed into Yoshanai's torso. The large teen gritted his teeth as he was forced back a couple of feet away from Haku. But once the stream went away, Yoshanai only charged his cleaver with his chakra and charged in again.

Meanwhile, Chojuro had to stay on his toes since he faced not one, not two, but three opponents at the same time. Kajika's two minions invaded his personal space with an array of weapons suited to their style. Back to back, the young teen had to parry multiple blows from kunai clashes or bat shuriken out of the air. But he didn't falter in his step. His love inter-er, leader was counting on him to bring purity to Kirigakure again. With narrowed eyes, Chojuro focused on the lone female running toward him. He opened the gambit with a forward stab which he expected to miss entirely. Once the kunoichi side-stepped, Chojuro formed a hammer shape with his sword and forced his female foe to back off lest her ribs break. As soon as the hammer shape went away, Chojuro submerged himself under water to avoid a Fuma shuriken that was thrown his way. Swimming under to get some distance again, Chojuro's eyes widened when he saw his third foe looking at him with a predatory smirk. Shark like forms surrounded Kajika before they launched themselves at Chojuro. The teen barely had a small amount of time before he made his own seals. Before he knew it, water sailed high in the sky.

Haku noticed this as she was throwing senbon at Yoshanai to put some distance between them. 'Chojuro-kun is outnumbered. I have to assist him soon.' Easy in the thought process but harder to execute in reality. While Haku knew how to handle Yoshanai's pressure game, it didn't give her a lot of room to work with. The larger teen always forced her to play the defensive role in the battle by dodging in many different angles.

Deciding to get creative in her current position, Haku concentrated her chakra on her left arm and created a shard ice that covered her forearm. Yoshanai didn't enough time to get surprised because Haku capitalized on her move and moved her forearm in a wide arc. Yoshanai managed to avoid getting his head sliced off but was unable to stop the nick that appeared on his cheek. As blood dripped on to the raging waters of the former Uzushiogakure, Yoshanai sneered at Haku.

"You demonstrate the very thing that boils my blood." Haku didn't answer him, face devoid of emotion and guard still in place. "It takes normal shinobi years to even attempt to combine their chakra natures to create an all new element. Yet in the manner of mere seconds, you shame those that shed blood and tears to even be recognized for their talent!" Following up that statement, Yoshanai swiped the air to unleash a wave of water into Haku's position. Although the attack was easily dispersed with a quick upward slice by Haku, she widened her eyes when Yoshanai used that opportunity to go airborne with his cleaver raised high.

This has to be one of my most frustrating chapters to write in my handful of years as a fanfic author. To some of you, it may be a small throwaway chapter but consider this: How do you begin a scene? A crucial moment where you setup something that will impact a character? It's not easy. Like glass that you pour fine wine in, it has to be very delicate. That is why this chapter took so long...along with job hunting and other internet things.

Next chapter, whenever it will come out will be a big one...oi. Criticism is gold.