Sage

Ch.25

It was a relatively normal day in the northern region of Mizu no Kuni, so naturally it was raining, the mists were heavy, and visibility was low. Two Shinobi were out patrolling the coast, their worn headbands clearly marking them as Kirigakure ninja. Of course nowadays in Mizu no Kuni that can mean one of two things, loyalists or rebels. Unlike in Ame no Kuni, it was very well know that a civil war had broken out in Kirigakure ever since the Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura, had declared war on bloodline users.

It was a bloody time for residents in the land of water with entire clans of Kekkei Genkai users going extinct overnight under the orders of Kiri's Kage. Of course these people were human so they didn't take it lying down; naturally a rebellion arose against the current regime, with many bloodline clans banding together against the purists under Yagura's iron control. In this time of war and bloodshed the once peaceful, if not secluded, Mizu no Kuni had gained a new moniker, the Bloody Mist.

"Come on Kenji, get off your ass and stop lazing around." One of the Shinobi, a lanky man with limp brown hair covered by a loose-fitting blue bandanna, was currently waiting for his companion to get up from where he was lounging against the base of a large tree.

"Eh, calm down Shiroko, it's not like we're in any rush." The man on the ground had a decidedly more laid-back attitude than his more uptight comrade, as evidenced by his slack posture and lidded eyes. He was casually chewing on a senbon, a favoured weapon of the Kiri hunter-nin, both past and present.

"Yeah we are, we have to complete our patrol and report in to Shima-taichou in ten minutes." The man on the floor just groaned as he lurched to his feet, swaying slightly with his arms hanging limply in front of him.

"Fine, I don't get why we're even patrolling here, nothing ever happens this far north. Everybody knows all the real fighting happens in the contested zones on the main island." Shiroko's eyebrow merely twitched in irritation as he began to walk off, caring less and less if his lazy compatriot was actually following.

"You know perfectly well why we're here, it's because you were idiotic enough to make all those inappropriate comments about Mei-sama!" Kenji just chuckled into his long sleeve as he languidly followed after his rigid friend.

"Oh yeah, that was pretty funny. I swear Ao's eye was gonna pop out or something when he overheard." Because of the mist Kenji missed his companion's face turn an increasingly virulent shade of red.

"It wasn't funny, we could have been on lockdown for a few weeks for what you said. We're lucky to just be stuck on guard duty up here!" Kenji merely waved a lazy hand in Shiroko's general direction, more out of acknowledgement than any kind of apology.

"You worry too much, at least it's quiet up here. The reports from down south are getting pretty bloody lately." Shiroko merely sighed, adjusting his bandanna slightly and tucking a few strands of hair underneath the cloth.

"Yeah I guess you're right about-" Both Shinobi were suddenly interrupted as they heard a faint but increasingly loud whistling sound approaching their position. While Kenji might have been lazy, and rude, and incompetent at times, he was still a trained Shinobi and recognised what that sound could mean. Both sets of eyes turned towards the stretch of coast they were nearest two to see a black spot in the sky, barrelling towards them at astonishing speeds.

"Incoming!" Kenji and Shiroko both took cover behind a set of palm trees, keeping an eye on the shore and the incoming projectile. However both could only raise an eye when whatever it was drew closer, eliciting another sound.

"YAHHHOOOOOOOO!" As enormous crash followed as whatever it was smashed right into the water at the shore, creating an enormous splash that nearly reached the two hidden men. When the water finally settled both were astonished to see what appeared to be a young boy in his early teens crouched in a three-point stance on the water's surface. If it weren't for his unusual arrival in Mizu no Kuni the two might have mistaken him for a monk, he was wearing the traditional robes and carried a shakujou. The only thing that marked him as any different was the archaic headband on his forehead, the type that hadn't been worn for centuries.