Haku and Zabuza

Kirigakure, the village once known as the Village of the Bloody Mist, now had a little more life in it.

The streets had clearly been renovated. The pitted stone roads had been smoothed out, and more shops had opened along them.

There were vegetable stalls, shops selling daily necessities, and even a newly opened dessert shop. A pink sign hung over its entrance, hazy in the mist like a flower blooming from a swamp.

Every now and then, adults could be seen taking their children out to play.

The children's laughter drifted through the mist, a stark contrast to the oppressive atmosphere of the past.

There were few smiles on the adults' faces, but that wasn't because they were afraid. It was simply habit.

The people of Mist Village had never been good at smiling.

But their expressions now carried a vitality that had once been absent—a certainty that tomorrow would come.

That should have been only natural, but in this village, it was practically a miracle.

And the man who had brought about this miracle was now walking along the streets of Mist Village.

Uchiha Kou—no!

One of the most powerful figures in Mist Village, the man who had driven its reforms and become the first Mizukage Aide in its history—Shiina Sora had returned to his loyal Mist Village!

"Th-that's... Lord Sora?!"

A fishmonger packing up his stall was the first to spot him. The wooden bucket in his hands nearly hit the ground.

"Lord Sora, who's always shut away at home, is actually... Are you taking the day off?"

The woman selling vegetables beside him hurriedly set down her scales.

"Lord Sora! Lord Sora! If you don't mind, come rest in my shop for a while!"

The teahouse owner had already rushed to the entrance, still clutching the rag he'd been using to wipe the tables. His radiant smile hardly looked like that of someone from Mist Village.

Kou looked at the villagers gazing at him so fervently they seemed ready to raise their hands and sing, "If you come in the depths of winter..." His mouth twitched.

He raised a hand to signal for everyone to settle down, like an old leader inspecting the place.

At Lord Sora's gesture, the villagers displayed an impressive level of discipline—utterly unlike Konoha's unruly lot.

Not a single person spoke out of turn or tried to get close to him. Even the onlookers had voluntarily stepped back three meters.

Kou couldn't help comparing them to that bunch of Konoha troublemakers who loved bullying people whenever they had nothing better to do. He immediately felt much more at ease.

Just look at the people of Mist Village! They knew how to make someone feel appreciated!

By comparison, Konoha's troublemakers were simply unbearable!

As someone who had witnessed firsthand how Konoha's troublemakers had cold-shouldered Kakashi's father, the Konoha hero Hatake Sakumo, Kou could hardly have a good impression of them.

His gaze swept over the villagers, who had returned to their work.

Looking at the village, which had changed so much since his arrival, he couldn't help feeling wistful.

"Has it really been four years..."

Seven years had passed since the Nine-Tails Incident.

He had also been away from Konoha for five years.

Leaving aside the year he'd spent training under that fellow Obito, leeching off the experience Old Madara had left behind, he'd been in Mist Village for four years.

Four years was enough time for even a dying village to grow new flesh.

At first, Kou had suggested taking over the management of Mist Village mainly to get away from that constantly hissing Obito—and, as a bonus, to buy himself some time to grow stronger in peace.

He'd even thought up his reasons.

Things like, "Mist Village is an important piece in the Eye of the Moon Plan," and, "Let me keep an eye on it for you, so you can focus on collecting the other Tailed Beasts."

But before he could even voice all those reasons he'd prepared to persuade Obito, the man had immediately agreed.

Kou: "???"

That wasn't right! You were supposed to wonder why I'd made the suggestion and say there was no need. Then I'd bring up a whole series of strategies, like "how to develop Mist Village and advance the Infinite Tsukuyomi Plan."

Then you were supposed to exclaim, "With your help, it's as if I've gained the aid of the Dragon of the Hidden Leaf!" before agreeing to my plan with some hesitation!

Why did you agree so quickly?! What was that about?! The Gal Ninja World wasn't supposed to be like this!!

You're making me nervous! Give me back the Uchiha Obito who didn't care about anyone!!

Thinking back to the exhausting days when he'd first taken office in Mist Village, constantly on edge and wondering whether Obito was secretly spying on him, Kou couldn't help shaking his head.

When he realized that Obito really wasn't watching him from the shadows, he'd felt confused—and couldn't help indulging in a hopeful fantasy.

What if Kenji could still be saved? What if... Uchiha Obito was still a good Uchiha?

Senju Lao Er: barely holding back laughter...

The Uchiha clan members who'd been eliminated in a match-three game: "Baka yarou!!!"

"Sigh..."

Kou couldn't help sighing, silently letting go of a fantasy that should never have existed in the first place.

"I thought that fellow might still be salvageable, but now it seems I've gotten too invested..."

"You can change mountains and rivers, but not your nature. A rotten orange will always be rotten. I need to prepare countermeasures as soon as possible."

Fortunately, he'd taken quite a few steps in secret over the years and left himself a way out.

A trace of coldness flashed in his eyes, faint and gone in an instant—like the mist parting in a gust of wind, only to close again.

"I'll have to make plans for the Mangekyo in Kakashi's left eye soon."

He considered the matter seriously.

Just as Kou was about to head for his base in Mist Village, he sensed something. His gaze passed over the crowd and settled on two familiar figures ahead.

On the street, a "girl" with long black hair and fair skin was staring at a snow-white rabbit in a shop's cage with big black eyes.

The rabbit huddled in a corner, warily sizing up its surroundings with ruby-red eyes. Its long ears trembled slightly.

The child looked not quite ten years old. His features were so delicate that anyone would have mistaken him for a girl if he weren't dressed in boys' clothes.

The rabbit's reflection was mirrored in the boy's big eyes, his gaze so soft it seemed about to melt.

The tall figure beside him spoke impatiently.

"If you like it, take it. We still have training to do. Don't waste all your time standing around here, Haku."

Haku heard him and glanced cautiously at the tall figure beside him, speaking in a soft voice.

"Teacher Zabuza, c-could I really...?"

"Tsk. What a troublesome kid."

Zabuza, dressed in a Mist Village flak jacket, looked at the child gazing up at him hopefully. A hint of frustration flashed across his face as he grumbled inwardly.

He was Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and one of Mist Village's finest. And now he'd ended up babysitting...

His gaze fell on Haku's delicate face, on those glistening eyes filled with pleading.

That gaze was too innocent—so innocent that it made a man with blood all over his hands feel uncomfortable.

"Seriously, why do I have to be this kid's teacher? What on earth was that lord thinking..."

Just as he was about to respond, irritated, a teasing voice came from beside him.

"Stop looking so grim all the time. You actually like the kid, don't you, Zabuza?"

"Huh?! What are you talking about? I don't..."

Zabuza reflexively denied it.

A moment later, his whole body stiffened.

"Wait, that voice!"

He turned around at once. The familiar figure with the warm smile came into view.

Zabuza stared at the familiar figure before him. His expression changed from irritation to shock, and he couldn't help exclaiming:

"L-Lord Sora!!"

Kou looked at Zabuza and Haku and waved at them with a smile.