Fuyōna returned home after his small training session with Hattori, knowing that the time had come to start all of their training. So far the war had come to a halt, but Fuyōna knew peace would only be temporary, with the Stone still refusing to surrender.
Fuyōna also knew that the battles to come would be much more dangerous than they could imagine, with the rise of the Akatsuki coming, along with the growing tension and uncertainty of villages and nations, Fuyōna knew that he would have to prepare them for all of it because he couldn't be everywhere at once.
Fuyōna found himself sitting at home with Suiren and Mei, now that the kids had gone to bed it gave them a chance for some alone time for a change.
"You are sure about this?" Mei asked, having listened to Fuyōna's report about Zabuza and the Akatsuki.
"I am afraid so... Their goal is to collect all of the tailed beasts and use them to take over the world," Fuyōna said, deciding to withhold some of the details from them, not wanting them to panic at the mention of the ten tails, Kaguya or aliens just yet.
"But if what you say is true, doesn't that mean that both you and Kimimaro will be targeted?" Suiren asked, seeming worried about this whole thing.
"It does." He Fuyōna said with a solemn expression.
"So where are they, can we not launch an assault against them first and wipe them out?" Mei asked.
"I don't think it would work like that Mei. They are all S-rank ninja who travel around in groups of two staying under the radar. It would be difficult to locate and kill them all in one go." Fuyōna said, having already thought about the idea.
"I see... Then how do we stop them?" Mei asked.
"For now, we wait for them to come to us," Fuyōna said, getting a surprised expression from both of them.
"I estimate that they won't start making their move for another three years at least, giving me enough time to train the boys so they will be ready to face them," Fuyōna said.
"How can you be so sure they won't attack us here?" Suiren asked, feeling worried about the children.
"The truth is Suiren, I can't. But I promise you this. I have taken every precaution in the event they try to attack, making the village as safe as possible." He said.
Suiren believed his words of course and smiled at him softly.
"I trust you, my love." She said.
Fuyōna also smiled at her before reaching for his tea to take a sip.
"So what did you have in mind for their training, Fuyōna?" Mei asked.
Fuyōna formed a very small yet wicked smile as if he was planning something truly devious.
"Something that will push them to hell and back."
The next day Fuyōna summoned both Haku and Kimimaro, telling them to meet him at one of the training grounds on the outskirts of the village. The boys did so, only to find Koyuki, Hattori and Yuri there too, also waiting for Fuyōna to appear.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Koyuki asked, seeing them both walking towards her.
"We were told by lord Mizukage to meet here too," Hattori said, seeing the others arrive.
Haku took a look around not seeing Chika, Fujira or Rokuro.
"So it's just us..." He said, knowing that they must still be in the hospital recovering.
"What's going on?" Koyuki asked, placing her hands behind her head.
"Didn't you get the memo, we are here for training from lord Mizukage himself," Hattori said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"What other reason could you possibly need to be here." Hattori then said, turning his back on them.
Koyuki frowned and was about to say something before Haku stopped her by placing his hand on her shoulder.
"I wouldn't bother Koyuki, you know how he gets. Let's just wait over here." He said, giving her a soft smile.
Koyuki nodded as she looked into his brown eyes, before remembering how he had used a summoning jutsu against Zabuza, saving them all from the demon of the mist, proving just how strong he had become in comparison to herself.
"Yeah... Ok." She said, trying not to let it get her down.
Kimimaro also waited with his arms crossed, feeling eager to begin his training as he remembered his father's words from the other day.
He knew that he would become a target by having the three tails inside of him. He also knew that he would one day have to learn to control its powers, helping him to become stronger if he wanted to stand a chance.
Suddenly an ice mirror appeared as the air around it grew cold, getting all of their attention before Fuyōna himself stepped out onto the grass.
"Ah, you all made it. Sorry I am late." He said, rubbing the back of his head while wearing a goofy smile.
Fuyōna took a good look at all of them, seeing their expression and the resolve on their faces, having led them to where they were right now. He could see that all of them wanted to become stronger after their last battle with Zabuza, clearly having opened their eyes to just how much further they had to go.
"Very well then, straight to business." He said, seeing that none of them was in the mood for joking around.
"I have asked you all here because I feel that you hold great potential for your age, meaning that with the right training and commitment, any of you could become the next great leaders of our village," Fuyōna said to catch their attention.
"However, the level of training I am considering putting you through is no easy task. And frankly, I'm not sure you are up to that task." He then said, changing the atmosphere.
Each of them looked at Fuyōna with a serious expression, not wanting him to doubt their ability or commitment to becoming stronger and training with him.
"That is why, I want to see what each of you is made of alone, without any help from the others around you," Fuyōna said, getting a confused look from them.
"But sensei, what do you mean?" Koyuki asked, not understanding.
Fuyōna simply smiled as he raised his right hand, making a sign with it.
"You will see." He said, creating ice mirrors under their very feet, taking all of them by surprise as they fell into the mirror, disappearing from his sight before the mirrors closed and melted away leaving him alone.
"I only hope that each of you will come out of it alive," Fuyōna said to himself before he turned around and took a seat on an ice stool he had made.
Kimimaro fell through the ice mirror, having been taken off guard completely by his father, landing on the ground after only a small drop and taking in his surroundings as quickly as he could.
"Where am I?" Kimimaro said, not recognizing his surroundings.
It was a large dark hall of some kind, with clan markings on the walls that could only just be made out thanks to the candlelight around the area.
"Well, well... Who the hell do we have here?" A gruff male voice said, stepping into the light of the large hall.
Kimimaro turned around with his guard up, kicking himself for not realising he was not alone.
A large man wearing a white robe slowly came into view of the light, revealing himself to Kimimaro.
The boy was shocked by the man's appearance, seeing that he bore the Kaguya clan markings around his eyes and forehead, along with the hairline that all members of the Kaguya clan shared.
"No way..." Kimimaro said, not believing his eyes.
"You look like a Kaguya to me..." The man said, lifting his arm and allowing a bone to grow from the palm of his hand.
"Tell me, boy, have you come to challenge me in our sacred hall?" The man asked.
Kimimaro had no idea what the hell he was talking about, seeing as he had never seen him or this place before. He also believed all of the other Kaguya clan members to be dead, having no idea that anyone else other than him and Fuyōna shared their ability.
"Now show me what you got kid!" The man yelled, quickly charging toward Kimimaro with his arm raised ready to use as a weapon.
....
Haku felt himself drop from the ice mirror, free falling in the air as he watched the ground get closer and closer.
"How did I let my guard down to be fooled like that?" He thought, knowing he should have known better than to fall into an ice mirror, a technique he could use himself.
Haku made a hand sign and created an ice mirror of his own for him to fall into, creating another on the ground that allowed him to fall through safely as he stepped onto the fresh snow on the ground.
"What is this place?" He said, taking in the view of the small village that was covered in the snow atop the mountain, feeling the fresh and gentle breeze blow through his hair.
Suddenly the noise of a door opening caught Haku's attention, turning his head to see who it was.
A woman with black silky hair and blue eyes stepped out of her house into the snow, seeing Haku and stopping for a moment to look at him, only to flash him a smile and carry on walking through the village.
"What a pretty lady." Haku thought as he watched her, surprised before she turned around and beckoned him to follow her, waving her hand at him.
Haku was surprised and took a good look around not seeing anyone else.
"I guess she wants me to follow her." He said before he made his way in her direction.
Haku slowly walked through the village before coming to a hill where he could see a large shrine at the top of it.
The lady reached the large wooden doors to the shire and turned to look at Haku, waving her hand at him to follow her inside again before she disappeared.
Haku did as she instructed and walked towards the shire, reaching the doors and placing his hand on them.
The doors opened and revealed the main hall of the shrine, lined with hard wooden floors.
"Where did she go?" Haku thought as he took in the rest of the shrine, not seeing anything out of the ordinary.
The sound of voices caught his attention coming from the back of the hall. Haku followed the sound and walked towards them, eventually coming to a large winter garden.
"I told you already Kachina, the boy is nothing more than a curse!" A deep voice shouted.
Haku didn't know what was happening and quickly hid behind a large wooden pillar as he listened to the conversation that was taking place.
"No father... He is my child, and I will protect him no matter what!" She yelled back.
Haku was able to sneak a peek at the man shouting at her, seeing that he wore a blue robe, had thick grey hair and was large and well built.
"I don't know what is going on here, but I feel as if I have outstayed my welcome," Haku said to himself, deciding he should get out of here.
Haku raised his hand and created an ice mirror out of view, preparing to step into it, knowing he would be able to return to Fuyōna and get the hell out of here. However, to his shock he was unable to step into the ice mirror, feeling the cold glass not give way to his touch.
"What in the world," Haku said, not understanding why his jutsu wasn't working.
"Who's there!" The man's voice suddenly boomed, having sensed Haku's jutsu as four ice spikes hit the wooden pillar where Haku's head had been, only just being able to dodge the attack and being forced to reveal himself to the group.
"A child?" The man said, with the others around him also having their guard up.
Haku kept his guard up, somehow surprised that the attack that had been used as ice.
"What are you doing here boy?" The man said as he stepped forwards.
Haku could feel the power of his glare fall upon him, already being able to tell that he was strong.
The man noticed Haku's headband and frowned.
"A mist shinobi... You should know better than to spy on us in our own village!" The man roared as he slid his hand along his other forearm creating a razor-sharp ice blade along it.
"I, Shimo Yuki will send you back to the Mizukage with your tail between your legs, boy."
...
Koyuki found herself falling out of her ice mirror onto something wet that covered her backside, having been taken completely off guard and not expecting something like this to happen at all.
"Oh for goodness sake, now I'm all wet!" She said as she stood up, trying to wipe herself clean while her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness of wherever she was.
However, as her eyes adjusted to the dark, she quickly realised that the wet stuff that she had landed in was not water, but blood.
"Blood..." She said, realising what it was as the smell finally hit her.
"Who's there..." A voice said, taking her by surprise.
Koyuki jumped to attention and put her guard up as a threatening aura followed the voice.
"Who's there!" Koyuki demanded, drawing a kunai as she did.
"I thought I had killed everyone... But it would seem you survived." The voice said, proving hard for Koyuki to pinpoint where it was coming from.
Koyuki was feeling the intense killing aura that was watching her, stalking her like a lion to its prey.
A thick mist started to fall over her eyes, talking away the little vision that she had left, knowing that whoever was stalking her was getting ready to attack.
"Let me see your blood!" The voice suddenly shouted in her ear, screaming the hell out of her as whoever it was had taken her back with ease.
"Get away from me!" She yelled, turning around and lashing out with a blind attack with her kunai.
"That won't do..." The voice said, coming from the side of her again, causing Koyuki to turn around trying to keep her guard up.
"Where are you!" She yelled, knowing that she was starting to panic, feeling her heart beating out of her chest.
"I'm right here." The voice said again from behind her, grabbing her by the throat and holding her in the air causing Koyuki to scream.
"I want to see your blood."
Koyuki tried to fight it, but was powerless against the force of her attacker's grip, trying to choke the words out of her mouth as the one who was attacking her came into view of her blurry vision.
"F-F...Father." She said, feeling the grip around her neck loosen for just a second.
Koyuki quickly took advantage of this and kicked off against his chest, breaking free of his grasp and flipping back into the air before she landed safely on the ground trying to catch her breath.
The mist around them faded and Yagura himself stepped into the light, standing above her on a rock as he looked down at her.
"Father?" He said, seeming confused as he looked at Koyuki.
"Nice try little girl, but I don't have a daughter," Yagura said as he placed his large club on the ground and clapped his hands together.
"Father, its me, Koyuki!" She yelled, trying to get his attention.
"That is enough! Your silly little game wont work on me!" Yagura shouted, getting serious.
"You will die like all of the rest." He then said, causing Koyukis's hair to stand on end from the killing intent he was sending her way.
"No..." She said, trying to make sense of all of this.
"It's me... Koyuki..."
She already knew that her father was dead, yet here he was trying to kill her nevertheless.
"It can't be... This isn't real." She said, knowing it couldn't be.
"Water style, water dragon jutsu!" Yagura shouted as he finished his hand signs, creating a massive water dragon from the blood on the ground.
Koyuki placed her hands together, concentrating on the flow of her chakra as she did, feeling that something wasn't right.
"This is a genjutsu, and you are not real..." She suddenly said, looking one last time at her father's face before she forced her chakra to flare to life.
"Show me your blood!" Yagura shouted as his water dragon roared, getting ready to crash down upon her with the crushing weight of the blood it was made from, dripping red as its eyes glowed fiercely.
"THIS ISN'T REAL!" Koyuki screamed, forcing her chakra to burst to life, breaking the genjutsu and causing the water dragon to fade away with everything else in the room.
Koyuki could feel the tears running down her cheeks before she opened her eyes, taking one last look at Yagura.
"Well done, my child..." Yagura said with a smile on his face before his body faded into the mist, leaving Koyuki with one final gift before he faded away into the darkness.
"Father... I will never forget you."
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Alrigth thats the end of this chapter!
I hope you enjoyed it and more to come soon!
Thank you for all of your support and have a great day!