??? POV

‘Another boring escort mission completed by the deviously handsome super shinobi that is me.’

I bid farewell to the sailor who let me hitch a ride to the island and jumped off the ship onto the ocean. I start to slowly walk on the water toward the Hozuki clan compound and stroke my glorious goatee. 

Sigh~

I haven’t had an assassination request or a search and destroy mission in over a year! Ever since the Uchiha and the Senju have dwindled down the fighting its like the rest of the world is holding its breath. Like, I get that Madara and Hashirama are like the boogiemen of the shinobi world but does their literal every move have to dictate every damn thing. There hasn’t been a real battle between their clans for like two years. Its like they’re in a cold war or something. I hope something happens soon or I’m going to die of boredom before the next big battle! That bastard Mu must always be getting action because of the desert nomads, the mountain people, and the samurai. It isn’t fair! Nothing has been going on in Water country for the last twenty years! I need some action soon or my awesome skills are going to get rusty. I have nothing to do here! I’m already the second strongest on the damn island behind that old rust bucket and I have already mastered all the Hozuki clan techniques. There’s nothing for me to do!

‘Maybe I can provoke that senile old coot into fighting me…. Nah he’s too serious, he’d definitely kill me if he won so that’s out.’

Sigh~

I walk onto the shore, the wet sand under my sandals squelching with every step. The beach is very peaceful at night. The sound of the waves crashing along the shore has always been soothing to me. I look up to the sky even though I know the famous mist would hide any stars shining down on me.

‘Maybe I should think about getting myself a place on a beach far away from this blasted mist. Probably the Land of Noodles, they have amazing weather year-round.’

I have a big date tomorrow with my girlfriend and I need my beauty sleep so I body flicker myself to the front of the compound. I own the biggest home in the compound, but it was ironically completely empty right now. My parents were shinobi that were KIA in one of the numerous missions they took as pawns of the Shimizu. My mother died when I was 10 and my father followed her to the grave when I was 14. I was the only child of their arranged marriage. I asked my mother why I didn’t have any siblings and she coldly told me that they couldn’t be bothered with more children, that I was enough to be the clan head after my father finally died. Not something a normal mother would tell her five-year-old child but that was my mommy dearest. My father was even more brutal, but his training is a major part of why I am still alive. In a way, I guess my father did care about me in his own twisted way even if he’s also the reason the thought of using a sword sickens me.

‘Wait a minute…. What. Do. We. Have. Here?!’

I see fresh footprints in the dirt leading to the back of the compound. I feel some excitement but mostly suspicion bubble up inside me. Who would be stupid enough to loiter around the Hozuki compound at this hour? My clan members have slain the impoverished villagers for far less than trespassing on our familial grounds so I doubt it would be a random vagrant who wandered up from the village. I jumped up to the top of my family’s oh so “secure” wall and walked along it while following the footsteps to the back of the compound.

‘Hmmm… Now I see three sets of little footprints. Two sets run away in different directions but one obviously stayed back since there is no sixth set.’

The two sets that walked away weren’t carrying the third member when they left since their prints weren’t deeper than when they first arrived on the scene. So that meant one of them had never left. I quickly scan the area for any clues to the whereabouts of the unaccounted-for trespasser and I find some dirt marks trailing up the wall.

‘They must have used a chakra absorption seal to get through the alarms. These are some resourceful little criminals.’

I decide to see if any of the trespassers are close by pulsing a subtle wave of my chakra out in a two-hundred-foot radius. I am not as proficient as a natural sensor, but I can at least pick out an unfamiliar chakra signature from my clan members’.

‘And bingo. It seems that the little mole is making its way back towards me. I am curious as to what its reasons were for risking its life like this. Maybe I’ll ask before killing them if they can entertain me.’ 

Then I close my eyes and lean against the wall going completely still. The alarm seals don’t sound for those with the Hozuki bloodline, a very big security flaw in my opinion. What if a half-Hozuki decides to infiltrate the compound? Five minutes pass and I start hearing rustling from the tree behind the wall.

‘Ugh…what a disappointment this person’s obviously not a well-trained shinobi!’

Suddenly an object came hurtling down from an area directly above my head and landed heavily on the ground about ten feet in front of me. Before I could look to see what had been thrown, a dark figure landed in front of it, blocking the object from my sight with its small frame. The figure took a second to gather itself before picking up the object and slinging it around shoulder to hang on its back.

‘I know that sword! Hahaha! What are the odds? I see that dumbass didn’t even bother taking the sword with him on his mission because he couldn’t handle it. Now he’s never going to get it back because after I take it, I’m selling it!”

The blue strip hilted katana was the very sword I had “retrieved” while on an escort mission in Iron Country. I had given it to my younger cousin for his birthday because as the head of the clan I am expected to help foster the talents of the clan’s youth. The funny thing is that the youth of my clan have no talent to foster. They’re all spoiled brats who’re only interested in swinging swords around and not experimenting with our clan’s numerous techniques. Some of them can barely use the Hydrification technique, the staple skill of our clan’s history! 

‘At least I’ll get some money out of this. Welp, time to make myself known!’

I stand from my position on the wall and confronted the little thief,

“Hey kid! You mind telling me where you got that COOL looking sword? I feel like I’ve seen it before, but I just can’t remember where!”

The child stiffens up and turns slightly to look at me. I get a decent look at the young ragged boy and to my surprise he looks to be one of the mountain tribe people from the north. I haven’t seen one of them anywhere near Water Country in the last ten years. Was this one of their famous raids? The whites of the boy’s eyes grow large as he fully takes in my overwhelmingly handsome visage.

“Listen Ki-. Hey!!!”

I don’t even get to finish before the child starts to run away. And when I say run, I mean RUN. This boy has to be using chakra to be going that fast but its going take more than speed to lose me. I leap from my spot and hop onto the wall to see how far the boy had gotten. Then I crouch and jump after him.

Shogo POV

‘SHIT, SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!!!! Did those bastards set me up?! Why was that ninja waiting for me?!’

My heart is pumping so hard it sounds like it’s pounding against my eardrums. I run with all my might towards the town. I don’t think I have ever run as hard in my life, but I know that ninja would eventually catch up. There was a cliff that I had to climb up while I was coming up the hill towards the compound earlier, the fall is gonna be steep and probably hurt my legs if I can’t pull off a perfect roll but FUCK IT! I don’t stop running as I sling the sword in front of me so it was over my stomach horizontally and I jump off the cliff making sure to tuck my legs into my chest. I take a deep breath and roll forward hoping that I don’t end up cracking my head open like an egg. I catch a lucky break because right before I hit the gravel, I am able to roll with momentum onto my feet and slide down the hill. When I reach the bottom of the hill, I sling the sword back over my shoulder and continue running even though I feel the sting of my rash decision in my cut-up feet and back. I look for the ninja behind me, but I don’t see anything. Not having the ninja in my sights brings chills to my spine.

‘There’s no way I outran him that fast! Where the fuck is he?!’

I make it into the town and the street is completely empty. I continue to look back hoping to catch a glimpse of the blonde ninja while running with the sword in my arms. Then I run into something so hard, my brain rattles in my skull and my eyes go out of focus. I am so dizzy that it took me a minute to realize that I was now on the floor. I scramble to my feet and look at what I ran into and my blood runs cold.

‘SHITTTTTT!’

“What no apology kid? What are they teaching the youth up there in those mountains of yours?”

I immediately turn around to start running my ass off again only to find myself being held up in the air by the back of my shirt.

“Listen brat, I’ve had a long day and I don’t feel like chasing you around town all night. So just give u-,”

I wiggle myself free of my shirt and slip out the bottom. I make sure to grab the sword as it falls then start running away from the ninja. I round a corner only to run face first into what felt like a wooden wall. I blink open my eyes and my heart plummeted at the sight of the angry blonde ninja that I thought I had left behind standing over me with a grim look on his face.  

??? POV

I stand over the little thief and I’ll be honest, I am more than a little pissed off at the gall of this brat. He keeps on running off while I’m talking! The nerve! Although I must admit I am impressed by the grit this kid has shown trying to escape from me. Grown men have frozen with fear and despair when faced with my intimidating aura. Also, the boy’s chakra control is exceptional for a child his age to be able to supplement his speed that much without blowing up his legs. The little thief definitely has enough talent to become a passable shinobi in the future. Better get rid of him now.

“Nowhere to go now bra- “

“HELP! Pedophile! Pedophile! HE’S GOT ME!”

I feel the blood rushing to my head, and I grab the damn brat by his thin neck then I body flicker to the top of a cliff that overlooked a massive whirlpool in the ocean. Never in my life had I been angrier than I was now, I am practically foaming at the mouth. I try to toss the kid off the cliff, but he wraps his body around my arm when I let his neck go. I wave my arm around trying to get him off, but he wouldn’t let go.

“Get off me you fucking shitty brat!”

“No way I’m letting you kill me, ugly no eyebrow having freak!”

I can’t even breath because I  am so angry at this damn little eye sore’s ridiculous insult. So what I didn’t have any eyebrows! I am gorgeous without them! I shake my arm in earnest trying with all my might to toss this little parasite to his death. Then I calm down and realize how stupid I was being.

Shogo POV

I am holding onto the ninja’s arm tight as my life depended on it but suddenly his arm turns into liquid and I start to plummet towards the giant whirlpool below. I manage to grab a stray rock just below the cliff to bring my descent to a halt. I was dangling with one hand on the rock and the sword in the other. My situation is not looking good as I can’t support myself for long. I look down towards the whirlpool and it is a straight drop into the mouth of the whirlpool meaning I was dead if I let go.

“YOU MOUNTAIN SAVAGE BRAT! JUST DIE ALREADY!”

I look up towards the cliff and see that fucking glorified water balloon glaring down at me,

“KISS MY ASS, THERE ARE NO MOUNTAINS ON KITAJIMA!”

Then I yank myself up with all my remaining strength and wack this son of a bitch in the face with the sword. The rock I am hanging onto breaks from the sudden motion and I fall towards the treacherous waters below while listening to the pain/rage filled screams of that blonde dick. Strangely enough as I am falling, I’m not scared so I didn’t scream in terror. But I am laughing my ass off because fuck that eyebrow less slug. Then I instinctively take a deep breath right before I hit the water.

‘At least I get to die with an awesome sword thou- ‘

I wake with a start and feel the familiar feeling of being deep underwater. It is pitch black all around me so I can’t tell how deep inside the ocean I actually am at the moment. Amazingly, I still held onto the damn sword even while unconscious. I start to swim upwards but something slimy tightly wraps itself around my torso and drags me down further underwater. I try to see what it is, but I can’t even see my hand in front of my face. I try hitting whatever is holding me with my fist and the bottom of the sword however it continues to drag me down. Then it stops, I continue to try and free myself. I finally unsheathe the sword and start stabbing at whatever was holding me. Just as I am about to give up my fruitless struggle to free myself, I notice a fucking GIGANTIC yellow eyeball blinking at me while illuminating my immediate area. I realize that there’s giant spiky blue tentacle wrapped around my entire freaking torso. The panic hit my body like a tidal wave, and I do what anybody would do in a situation like that. I take the damn sword in my hand and bury it hilt deep into the eyeball. The thing’s reaction is instantaneous it releases me and recoils in what looks like pain. Not one to not take advantage of this golden opportunity, I start to swim like my fucking life depended on it forgetting the stupid sword entirely. The feeling of lightness is back but I felt like I was going much faster than when the shark was on my ass. Soon I am closer to the surface. I can tell because of the light from the moon.

‘I’m almost home free! Thank you, Rabbit Goddes- ‘

*TWACK*

 I wake to the sunlight and blinding pain throughout my whole body. I have to blink away the tears that come to my eyes. It takes a couple of seconds for me to collect myself before I notice that I am on a beach, but I had no idea which one. I can tell it was early in the morning because the sun is so low. I sit up and immediately regret it as a sharp pain pierces through my chest. I tough out the pain and force myself to stand up, only to be greeted by more pain. My right arm is numb from my shoulder to my fingertips and my right leg is fucked too. I start limping south because I know that the village is south on the island. After a while, I see that I’m not far from the town thankfully. I had somehow wound up on the west beach of Nakajima, but I wasn’t complaining because I had survived what has been the craziest experience anyone has ever had. Blonde eyebrow less ninjas, dudes turning into fucking water and giant fucking sea monsters. Like who the fuck comes up with this bullshit! Whatever, I need to get to the fucking healer, I’m starting to see double. I reached into my pocket and my eyes damn near bulged out of my head.

‘No fucking way!’

Around noon later that day…

I walked out of the healer’s place looking like a walking band aid. A dislocated shoulder, fractured neck, micro fracture in my femur, sprained knee, sprained ankle, two broken ribs, one punctured lung and a concussion. My right arm was in a cast and so was my whole right leg. My entire torso was wrapped from my nipples down to my waist and I had a goddamn neck brace. It was incredibly hard to move even with the crutch the old healer gave me, but I had to make it work. The medical bill was fucking ginormous, but it mattered little to me now since I was fricking rich. I had no idea how all the money stayed in my pocket after all of last night’s craziness, but I thank the Goddess that it did. Now I could skip town before the dick Tako came back and finally be free. I walked down the main road to the docks, planning to hire a boat to take me to the Land of Noodles. I can afford a nice boat too! Things are finally starting to look up for old Black Fish! Heh heh-

‘OH C’MON!’

Standing right there with a brown-haired woman on his arm, and a bandage over his probably broken nose is the blonde fuck that threw me off a damn cliff. He catches sight of me as soon as I did him and the glare he gives me scares me shitless. I hobble to turn myself around quickly and start to scramble away, the people around me look at me funny but I can’t give less of a fuck. I feel a hand grab my unbandaged shoulder and gently turn me around. I was met with the face of the woman who was accompanying that blond douche, she puts her hand on my cheek

“Oh, you poor child! Who did this to you?!”

??? POV

‘SHIT!’

I was on a date with my girlfriend when I saw that fucking brat again! How the fuck is he still alive?! I threw him into a goddamn whirlpool! My girlfriend being the kind hearted soul she is saw me glaring in the direction of the child and assumed that I was just as concerned about the fucking brat’s condition as she was so she walked us over to the hastily retreating annoying boy. I stood behind her while she talked to the boy making sure that she didn’t see the expression I was making. 

“Gengetsu!”

“Hmm! Oh, sorry I wasn’t listening. Were u saying babe?”

“I was saying that we need to help this little guy get to the docks!”

“OH! Sure…sure we absolutely must do that! Right…. little guy?

I got up really close to the death-defying brat when I said the last thing so only he could see my menacing expression. The brat purposely jumps and headbutts me in the chin when I go to pick him up and I respond by squeezing his bad shoulder. We glare at each other and I mouth a threat at him, so my lady won’t see. With that I pick him up and held him out in front of me putting my arms below his shoulders and knees. Like that the three of us start to slowly walk towards the docks which was thankfully only a ten-minute walk away. I want to just body flicker there, but I don’t want to seem like I am rushing. Unfortunately, my girlfriend starts to talk to the child,

“So little man what’s your name? Mine’s Tamari Shimizu.”

The child began sweating when Tamari revealed her last name. I guess even riff raff like him are cognizant of the powerhouse that is the Shimizu clan.

“The name’s Shogo Isobe.”

“Wow that’s a great name. Where do you come from Isobe-kun?”

“You sure ask a lot of questions Tamari. I’m from Kitajima.”

“Sorry, if my questions bother you but humor my curiosity please, I am a kunoichi after all. I get paid to be a little…inquisitive. SO Kitajima it gets pretty cold over there this time of year doesn’t it?”

“Sure does. Um hey thanks for the help guys but I think I can handle the rest of the distance myself.”

‘Finally, now get the fuck out of here you little devil spawn.’

I was about to happily put him down when I felt a hand gentle touch my shoulder,

“Alright guys cut the shit”

The tone in her voice made my blood run cold. I felt the kid seize up a little too from her sudden change in personality.

“I was hoping to make you guys squirm a little before I asked you but since Shogo here is so quick to cut bait on my cute little interrogation I’m just going come out and ask. How do you two know each other?”

She looked into each of our eyes as she asked her question, her emerald green eyes seemingly pierced through my very soul. Even the usually smart mouthed brat in my arms is at a loss for words. Suddenly I got an idea for an exit and I blurted it out,

“Ugh! You got us babe! This is my brand-new apprentice, Shogo.”