From the Ashes

𝙴𝚅𝙾𝙻,𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 3.

Arriving in The Land of Waves,the trio stopped for a moment...Sitting on the new tower overlooking the town and taking in the new sights before them.This was the first time Fū and Haku returned to this place since its emancipation.

And it showed in the way her eyes roamed over the visible buildings, taking in the new expanse of life, the fresh concrete and stone brick building that glowed with a sense of vitality and vibrance ,even with the dark materials that made up more than half of the expanded town.

Honestly,the place had been more of a boardwalk before this...transformation; Seemed their de-facto leader turned everything she touches to gold.

Touched,Fū's playful mind reminded her cynically.Flinching at the unfiltered thoughts of her mind, she turned her hooded head backward to the others beside her.

Hinata and Haku were present,the latter staring over the arrays of houses and businesses with an uneven expression,it didn't take a genius to know just what he was thinking about...But it didn't matter as much to Fū.

They were here on official business,sent by the Fifth Hokage to conduct their bi-annual inspection of the Wave Village.

Off of paper,Tsunade allowed them the opportunity to gather information on their teammate's actions.Other than the late Sarutobi,Tsunade remained the only one beside her loyal teammate to know of the history between Konoha and Wave.

More specifically,Saryn and this place.

One by one they dropped down the tower,carefully avoiding the imported power lines as they sunk into the misty streets.

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They passed the most populated parts of the town, Hinata, Fu and Haku passing into the forest where Tazuna's home lied.

Or...where it used to lie.

In its place,Haku gaped as the forest had noticeably less trees than before.Not for naught,as with obvious signs there was sacrifices made to exchange natural resources for space. The rows of clay and slate houses were fixed into a grid like pattern like the center of town,and as they made their way through the abandoned homes, the Yuki couldn't help but feel...something.

Not frightened,and none of them were particularly concerned either. He couldn't name the feeling exactly. It was teetering on curiousity and anxiety at the same time.

Anticipation? Perhaps.

Whatever it was, the trio were nearing the location where Hinata initially saw the quad of chakra signatres.

"Further west," the princess suddenly spoke, "—they are concealing their presence but not all of them are as covered as the other," she answered their unvoiced question,Byakugan active in her eyes..

'Still good enough to give you some trouble,' Haku mentally noted,somewhat intrigued by the people who were supposed to be simple workers and civilians like they were just three years prior.

Trouble remained the key word as Hinata's palms locked onto both her comrades as they came,flickering away from the incoming arrows of their ambusher.

Haku's black haired ambusher.

They slid back with the residual speed of the flicker,both members of Team 11 thanking the vigilant Hyuuga for the save.

Turning his eyes back ahead,Haku fixed his Panther mask in a second before freezing.

'You have got to be-' but he never got to finish that though as the youth quickly recovered from his shock, a tantō speeding towards Haku's mid-section,which was quickly caught in the vices of his sai.An easy repurpose of moist soil and mist into surface ice with one hand allowed Haku a moment to survey the scene.