Reborn in the Mist

"Kuchiyose no Justu!"

Gusts of wind from the summoning billowed my official Mizukage haori and raised a wave under our feet as Unaimaru took up space in the water. The plume of white chakra smoke quickly dissipated and revealed the large Class-C Unagi I had as my summon, his body was thick, wide and a confusing mesh of scales and would-be feathers especially at the top of his head.

"Is it time for a sacrifice already? You work fast, Mizukage." Unaimaru bellowed, his voice and words rattled the two Chuunin in my presence. 

Ao clasped a sure hand on Junichi's shoulders, "Do not show fear." he said but I knew that was easier said than done against Unaimaru. Had I been anyone else I would be afraid of him too.

"No such thing, at least not yet." I said as I adjusted my Kage hat, the blue and white of it paired quite well with my haori and cloak finish. I gestured for Unaimaru to lower his head and he did, albeit slowly, "We need to move fast across the water, and there's no one I know faster than you."

A lazy attempt at a compliment but better than nothing. He reared his head back in offence I expected even before summoning him. Unaimaru let out a low growl as he hissed, his tail splashed a tidal wave behind him in a display, "I am no errand boy, least of all yours Mizukage. Summon another! I am for battle, blood and sacrifice, remember that."

"I will but first you complete the task you've been summoned for, lower your head." Unaimaru glared down at us, his eyes darted between me, Ao and the two Chuunin, undoubtedly calculating if the consequences of attempted murder were worth it. They were not.

No matter how much he complains and moans, he cannot disobey. I was confident in Unaimaru's subservience not because he was, but because he had been the one to guide me to battle Kaizoku himself. After observing the stalemate I and the great serpent thief had reached, it would be his own undoing to go against my word. Of course, he does have a point.

I let my eyes soften for the sake of his pride rather than anything else and promised, "Once I make more friends within the Kaizoku's tower, friends you can introduce me to by the way, I'll treat you with all the respect and honour your power warrants, until then…"

Unaimaru reluctantly lowered his head, sharp, slit yellow eyes still glared hatefully at my entourage. I turned to them once I hopped on and beckoned, "Come now, we should move quickly, Unaimaru doesn't like being up here without having a mouthful of sinners."

Junichi's face blanched of colour but he grasped onto my hand as he leaped onto Unaimaru's head. My Hoshigaki assistant was weighed down carrying most of the luggage necessary for this trip. Besides foods, drinks and a change of civilian clothes, his transparent backpack held scrolls with documents essential to recording this historical event, a gift from Kirigakure to Konoha and a couple pre-drawn contracts that my council had written up for rare occasions like these.

I hadn't had the time to look over much of anything within them besides a cursory glance here and there before stamping my signature all over but I got the gist enough to be satisfied bringing it along to my meeting with Minato.

Last to climb Unaimaru was none other than Genma, Minato's so-called bodyguard who has been entrusted with a piece of his legendary killing technique; the Flying Raijin. The most important thing about him as it turned out was his bandana, if I had that and the understanding of the seals that made up the Flying Raijin, he wouldn't be necessary for this trip at all. 

But there was no reason to exclude him, in fact, since it was Minato's idea to send him over then there were more reasons to take care of him than not. At first unsure and visibly afraid of Unaimaru's toothed maw, Genma hopped on and sat beside Ao who helped keep him from falling right over.

"Alright, to Tea Country." I said, lightly tapping Unaimaru as I tugged his hairs in the direction we were travelling. Riding Unaimaru was an entirely different experience from any other animal I'd ridden. Horses were traditionally used and donkeys as well.

But Unaimaru was a Class-C summon whose body was as large as a house and longer than a battleship. There was a choice to make when riding such a creature, either you sit and grip or you stand and grip. 

Ao, Junichi and Genma did as I did and sat cross legged atop Unaimaru's thick neck, grasping thick strands of his feathery hair and sealing our butts onto the scales underneath with chakra. 

He raised his head and us several feet in the air, giving a fantastical view of the mainland before he turned and dove into the sea. His head plunged through the twists of his own tail and they unravelled behind him in a snap that propelled us through the water and sent a wave crashing out against the mainland as we shot forward.

A wave crashed over us, soaking everyone. Unaimaru's deep chuckle rumbled beneath us. "I move fastest underwater, Mizukage. Surely, you knew." I checked on the others to see if they were okay but clearly none of them were expecting to be dragged under water either.

Wrapping his hair in my hands I tugged and pulled until he got the message and broke through the water surface and set a steady glide across. Ao, Junichi and Genma gasped for their breaths as Unaimaru snickered without me even chiding him. I growled, his hair still tugged in my hands. I released him and said nothing as the winds from his current traversal speeds would be enough to quickly dry us off even without any Ninjustu. Rather than waste my breath on the devious Unagi, I turned to my subordinates.

"Junichi,"

"Sir?" He coughed and shuffled across Unaimaru's neck to sit closer to me. Thankfully, the backpack was intact and dry.

"I've read your records, this will be your first time out of the village on this type of mission. You know this counts as an A-rank mission on your file now, don't you?"

His voice was small, "Yes, sir." While my short time away leading the last charge of the war had forced Junichi to grow a spine and deal with my councillors, it seemed he still had some nerves left to iron out.

That's fine. I told myself, "Battle will not be our primary concern today or tomorrow, Junichi. Yet your task on this mission is the most important after mine, you must see through falsehoods, record any and all agreements to the letter of the word and speak for concerns I am unaware of."

He managed to hold his head high and keep his eyes from looking away, "Yes sir, I understand my duty. I won't fail you."

I was sure he wouldn't, what I wasn't sure about was if he would be brave enough to speak out in opposition to Konoha right with their Kage looking at him. No reason he shouldn't. I nodded, satisfied for the moment and called on Ao as Unaimaru swam closer to land, "Ao, I have only spoken once to your task and you have fulfilled it diligently."

My bodyguard's chest puffed out in pride at those words, his face beamed. I turned my gaze at him and its seriousness washed away all mirthful expressions, replacing them with an equally serious gaze as Ao narrowed his single open eye.

"Of course, I will work twice as hard protecting you, Mizukage-sama." As if to prove that point his Byakugan activated underneath the seal patch on the eye. Veins grew thick as they bulged with chakra and blood. 

"What do you see?" 

"The lands ahead of us are free of any shinobi, there are a few civilians but most are working fields or are children playing within them," The Byakugan was ever impressive. The lands ahead he spoke of was Tea Country's Nagi Island and one of the previously contested isles whose Barons attempted to pledge allegiance to Tea Country during the Daimyo's war. "It is safe, for now."

Taking comfort in his words I looked over my shoulder at the last person among us, Genma. The young man seemed to have been expecting my gaze but once it found him his eyes shifted as he gulped.

"Once we touch down on Nagi Island we'll sprint through the fields and find a place free of civilians for you to use your technique."

"It isn't harmful," he said.

My eyes narrowed at him, "Every jutsu is." Asides that fact there was a good chance our meeting here today may have been leaked. Killing Kages is a taboo but that hasn't stopped people before. Both Minato and I had enemies aplenty, he more than I, and the presence of civilians would quickly be used against us if there were wolves on the prowl.

Unaimaru began to slow down as Nagi Island loomed ahead of us, the waves of his weight greeted the beach. I waited while Ao, Junichi and Genma hopped down, and once it was I and my summon, I yanked his hairs so he gave a loud yelp, "Unaimaru…you naughty Unagi, I understand it is battle, blood and the guts of sinners you wish and I have given you and Kaizoku that twice. Our contract is in blood and so it truly matters little which task I summon you for. This will be the last time you make a fuss, especially in front of my subordinates. Battle and blood I will bring to you, obedience and loyalty is all you have to give in return, is that understood?"

"Grrr…Mizukage you..ach! I understand, I will obey but my loyalty lies only with Kaizoku."

I shook my head as I stood atop his and released his hairs, "Always something with you. But no matter, Kaizoku is loyal to me as I am to him per our contract. His kind and yours are mine to summon in exchange for blood, chakra and even more blood. Your loyalty is implied."

I hopped off his head and ran out onto the beach, my haori and cloak were still a bit wet so I weaved some hand seals and summoned a gale of wind to dance around me for a few seconds as I ran to meet the rest. Unaimaru disappeared in a puff of smoke and I sighed, I wished I didn't have to bully him into submission but truly, the last thing I needed were mindless restrictions of when, where and how I ought to summon him. He was only a Class-C after all and with no special abilities aside from eating and swimming as far as I could tell.

I set my mind away from those thoughts as I caught up and ran besides the rest. There was a lot about this meeting that concerned me, first among those was the state of the village. I had been in and out of it the most these past month and it wasn't exactly the best time. The Daimyo and Hanako would be waiting for me so we could finalise the war, the same went for Lord Funato and Lady Megumi who had contest over who would get Yureisen or Midoriwara. 

Not to mention Junko Hoshigaki, the Swordsmen and all the others who had participated in the war I'd yet to meet with and thank for their service, even if they had little to no choice in it. Then there was Tauyi village, it was obvious by now that the village would grow into the base we needed the island for, with Mei and Rina working with the Nettou clan it was only a matter of time, manpower and money.

I;ve been too preoccupied training but once this is over…once Minato understands…I breathed out a sigh as the grasses came up to my knees as we ran across the fields, it was a bright sunny day with few people in sight to be sure I asked Ao, "All clear?"

"Yes sir, Genma-san can begin his jutsu."

We skidded to a stop and surrounded Genma as he stepped forward, taking off his bandana as he did. He began the complex process of folding it so all the ends of the seal could connect and though it was my second time watching him do it, I couldn't understand how Minato had managed to create a functioning seal without conjoining every end. Fuuinjutsu didn't, couldn't, work that way to my knowledge. 

I suppose that's the difference between a Master and a Novice.

"I should explain that this is not my…jutsu per say. Lord Hokage entrusted me with this special seal so I could call on him when the time to meet with Lord Mizukage came. He wil-"

"Wait!" Ao's sudden yell startled me, his Byakugan was strained, the veins along his eyes and face bulging as he stared intensely at something behind Genma, "Don't tell me…is that your justu?"

Genma, having sensed something awry behind him and by the way Ao looked, turned around and gasped as I did. The air grew heavy, oppressive. Grass and sky twisted unnaturally as space itself was pulled into a violent spiral.

"Ao, take Junichi and run, now!"

It was too late. The vortex snapped open, reality tearing apart as a figure stepped through and stood among the grassy field of Nagi Island with us. He was masked, a single eye-hole in an orange, tail-scarred mask. He wore a simple, purple-lined black cloak with the hood down as his sharingan glared right at me.

"Leaving so soon, Mizukage?" His voice boomed with a taunt but the threat was as clear as the sky above.

Ao shifted closer to me, whispering, "He has a companion…several, clones of sort and they're all in the ground."

I barely heard Ao deliver more bad news, my mind still reeling at the man before me. The man who has inspired every grind for power, survival and stability. Uchiha Obito was here, the dreaded day he would steal my mind and self from me was today.