Shinobi vs Samurai(P2)

"I didn't ask for you!" Mangetsu yelled, blood crazed, soaked in the effects of his own jutsu with kunai fiercely gripped in both hands. He marched over and snatch the man Zabuza had just run through with his wakizashi. The unfortunate thing gurgled as Mangetsu slashed his throat open just for good measure and to claim the kill. "Stand back!"

"I don't take orders from you, boy." Zabuza leered, side stepping a flailing spearman's thrust. He stepped forward and cut his stomach open, the bull leather armour tore away like paper. "You should be grateful I'm here, looks like you're having a hard time dispatching these fodder and you had the lesser task." He mocked the wet haired Chuunin mercilessly.

He knew it would stab deeper because it was true. Chuunin or no, Lord Fourth's prodigy apprentice or no, Hozuki scion or no, the boy was still just a boy at the end of the day and Juzo knew better than to toss him to the veritable wolves that were Zabuza's eastern half of the base.

Zabuza had applied himself to his task faster and better than the Hozuki prodigy currently was. While he sneaked in through sludge pipes or a well or whatever, and was faced with a yard brimming with the Named Samurai's tenders, militia and a handful of Samurai as well. Zabuza on the other hand walked right through the eastern gate, fed over three dozen fools poison aplenty and killed the remaining.

He was sure he'd crippled the forts fighting force single-handedly and without so much as a single flashy Ninjutsu cast. Just his will and his steel.

Mangetsu openly glared at him with gritted teeth, "If you weren't blind you'd notice there are more mili-"

Zabuza lurched out, zigzagging through the thirty or so militia men still arming themselves to face Mangetsu. His wakizashi tore tendons, sliced open throats and his kunai buried in skulls, open backs and disfigured faces as he danced in-between what was little more than a peasant army.

Satiated by the abject terror in their eyes, Zabuza stopped his spree right in front of another spearman. His silent, heavy breathing and bloody grin brought the man to wet himself. Zabuza walked the trembling man to the wall, smiling even as he fashioned the spear against him. Zabuza pushed it aside with one finger and slowly sunk his kunai in the man's gut. The spear clattered to the ground and the man gave a breathless yelp as he gripped Zabuza's arm haplessly.

"You make excuses for failing the easiest tasks, these weak fools are asking to die, if you can't see that I wonder how much more you'll disappoint Lord Fourth." Zabuza mused out loud, basking in how the remnants of the militia stood paralyzed, not daring to move and yet wishing to all the same.

"You don't know me, you're just a demon and-"

"And that's why you lost to me, a demon is what this village wants, it is hell after all." As the spearman blood ran warm over Zabuza's murderous hand, he smirked at Mangetsu over his shoulder, finding the boy ignoring those militias who have woken from their stupor and fled. "Even now you fail the task. Have you wondered why I'm here, on this mission and specifically with you and a legendary swordsman? You don't think it's a coincidence do you?"

Mangetsu narrowed his eyes, "Nothings ever a coincidence in my life. I know why you're here. Competition isn't it? Matriarch Megumi wants you to challenge me to more, I'm not worried, you are twice of me and still less."

Zabuza's smile fell to a scowl, "You think you're better just because of some stupid clan technique? Ninjutsu? Ha, your privilege makes you complacent and that's why I'm here. Mummy Megumi wants me to challenge you, ha! No, Lord Fourth himself asked for me, he sent you to retrieve me. And we're here for a mission only Juzo and I are needed to accomplish, you lot are just extras."

Mangetsu only shifted his weight as he folded his arms and smirked, "Hit a cord did I? Low caste scum."

Zabuza's blood boiled. He reaffirmed his grip on the wakizashi as he roared forward, "I'll show you scum!"

Mangetsu braced himself, double wielding kunai and setting his stance to receive. But before Zabuza can lift his weapon the fort's tower explodes with chakra, shattering the multiple windows on each level down the tower and defenestrating a familiar looking shinobi.

The body soared, crashed and rolled off three roofs before spilling off and landing between Mangetsu and Zabuza bleeding from a cut through the centre. The orange haired youth was the Funato Chuunin that'd accompanied Juzo up to face the Named Samurai, though from the way he scrunched his face in soundless agony, rasping for help closing the wound or even just a painkilling pill, Zabuza knew the Named Samurai was a tad more than a Chuunin could chew.

He and Mangetsu exchanged vile glares in sync, turned to the busted, trembling tower that suffered Juzo's murderous presence and then back to glaring at each other. Zabuza knew what the boy was thinking because it was the exact thought crossing his mind— go up there and take the Funato Chuunin's place helping Juzo end the only true foe in this costal fort.

The tower shuddered as Kubikiribocho sliced an unnatural opening, cutting down three broken windows before tearing horizontally and sending the bisected half falling over into the base below. As the ground shook and thundered Juzo's maniacal laugh bellowed through the tower's now open top.

Zabuza met Mangetsu's stare and again shared the same thought— It's better not to get in the way.

Chapter 103

"It's been a while since we last discussed." Kinoto said with his softest smile, not that the Mizukage appreciated his effort. The young man went on sipping tea behind a sea of documents and stern looking folders, barely acknowledging Kinoto seated at the couch and table.

A long moment of silence passed with Kinoto shifting in his seat preparing to repeat the sentence and start the regular meetings of small talk going when the Mizukage looked up, seemingly burned his lip as he hissed, "Ah, huh, yes, has it?"

He quickly answered before he lost the Kage's attention, "Yes, it's been nearly two months since we sat like this, how is Lord Jiraiya's Tale of the Gutsy Ninja so far now?"

When the Lord of Root sent him to do his bidding in Kirigakure, Kinoto had imagined a different mission than what he's come to experience. Of course, there were the high, exciting developments, like his little ongoing friendship with the Lady Megumi, a powerful clan Matriarch in the Land of Water and Kirigakure.

But when it came to his true target, the Fourth Mizukage, everything was dull and unexciting. He should have been right at home here, in this environment the Mizukage curated for their meetings, after all, the Root held no need for emotion or stimulation beyond the scope of their mission.

However, Kinoto was of an older generation, his training was not so entrenched that he's abandoned the little pleasure of the unexpected or the amusement of novelty. The Mizukage provided neither.

For an hour or two they would talk about Konoha, the Fourth Hokage, the Third Hokage, the Copy Ninja and few others the Mizukage would have easily heard of or even come across in battle. Sometimes he would indulge Kinoto's questions about Kirigakure, food and culture, but he would only get as far as mundane information that could easily be scrapped off a single conversation with a peasant before the Mizukage would bring the conversation back to Konoha or how the plants from Lady Kushina's seeds were growing or how far he's read in any one of Lord Jiraiya's books.

It infuriated him but the most interesting, useful and surprising thing they'd learned about the man was that he was the Jinchuriki of the Three Tailed Beast. Though at the time they'd learned this the man had long since cut down on how often they spoke until a month had passed with Kinoto agonizing to know how much power and control the Mizukage had over the beast.

The fact that the Tailed Beast hadn't spawned from its seal that fateful night its chakra painted the night sky red and that he sat here without a seeming care or wound meant that the Mizukage had some control over the beast or some way to stave off its breaking the seal that imprisons it.

When Kinoto reported this he was aptly informed of the existence of one S-rank shinobi, Harusame and ordered to learn more. He was a mysterious man that appeared scarcely outside his Fuuinjutsu academy and obeyed only the Mizukage and his council, at least, according to the Lady Megumi.

He didn't need to reveal why he wanted to know about the man or what his next questions would be; she rejected them all and asked for something as outrageous as a second Byakugan with emphasis on them being a complete set.

Kinoto's training helped subdue the laughter that would have exploded out of him upon hearing her demands for learning what type of seal held the Three Tails within the Mizukage but he supposed she must have felt the same when he dared to even ask.

"Well, my apologies for that, Kinoto-san, I had no idea you enjoyed my company so." The Mizukage flashed him a wide, ignorant grin before his face bled of emotion as he turned an eye to the document in hand,

Kinoto had long given up on trying to determine what sort of personality the man had, if anything, he seemed to be constantly split between two or perhaps even three personas whenever they spoke. He was the stoic, focussed general, the bright and optimistic leader, and then the bloodthirsty Jinchuriki with ambitions beyond Kinoto's scope of knowing.

He is a danger. Such an unpredictable man wielding power as he does was bound to make enemies easily and by the looks of his desk and the activity in the tower, it was obvious this Mizukage had already made a fair bit of enemies.

"It's unfortunate then that tonight will be your last in Kiri."

His sudden words and poor wording had Kinoto's heart leap into his throat and his chakra spike defensively. He settled himself and caught the Mizukage smirking down at him, "Why is that?"

"Must there be a reason? All good things come to an end and well, you've had a good time in Kirigakure, yes?"

A cloistered time. Kinoto inwardly grumbled but knew Konoha would be little different, he was not a shinobi anyone would like to see on a loose leash. He gave an eye smile and nodded, "Quite so, yes, I suppose the time to return home has come after all. It would be best if Kirigakure could address its war without Konoha shinobi loitering about."

The Mizukage didn't miss his directness but he simply smiled, leaned back and retrieved a scroll from a cupboard. It was silk with a gloss that told of power and authority, its handles were golden and a blue ribbon was pinned with the Mizukage's signature stamp. That was a scroll for his betters.

"I have something for Minato, take this to him and he alone, do you understand me?" The Mizukage asked, holding the scroll up as he spoke and watched Kinoto approach.

"Of course, Hokage-sama will receive it the moment I arrive." Kinoto said and quickly moved to collect the scroll, yet the Mizukage held on to it.

"I know who you serve, Root-nin, more than the Lady Megumi." The Mizukage suddenly seeing through him so thoroughly left Kinoto startled, though he'd sooner bite his tongue than visibly confirm it. The Mizukage narrowed his eyes at him and commanded again, "For Minato, first and foremost, I will know if it's been opened before."

Finally, the Kage let Kinoto have the scroll. Having been so exposed and veritably banished from Kirigakure, Kinoto found a well of fearless courage rise within him and a question lingered on his tongue. "What is it?"

Yagura looked up from the documents he'd immediately turned back to and said with an amused scoff, "Let's just say I'm eager to tour."